Cancer 82

I am back in the chemo room. Because I have a bit of a cough and a sore throat I have been tested for Covid for the second time in my life. A horrible experience. I don’t mind being jabbed with needles, having my abdomen opened up, having a stoma fitted, watching Strictly Come Dancing (OK, I have never watched it but you know what I mean) but having a stick poked up my nose twice is far worse – which is why it is only the second time I have been tested. If it was positive they won’t give me chemo. Fortunately the result was negative. I know my immune system is a wreck but I would rather go ahead with the treatment that might hold my cancer at bay rather than have it stopped because I have a bit of a cough and a sore throat. Add to that my being very tired so please excuse bad wsriting today.

It has been rather an unusual few days. I put a trivial/petty post on Facebook saying that the dual language signage on Welsh roads was potentially dangerous, and that Welsh is a moribund language – both points being supported by evidence. I was in most/all of the national papers, the BBC (front page for a while), Sky News and so on. Jacob Rees-Mogg wanted to interview me on GBNews. I might have done the interview had I been well, but the interview was after 8pm I would have turned into a pumpkin, and pumpkins can’t speak.

I have been in the media plenty of times but it is usually because of my work, and I haven’t in the past received hateful comments from people who prefer to insult rather than construct an argument. Most of the/se hateful comments were as a direct response to my Facebook post. Someone reported me to the University of Wrexham where I have – had – a visiting professorship. The VC sacked me. She claimed they were having an investigation into the matter but they didn’t include me in this, and it was a very short period, less than one day, between the comnplaints and the sacking. Not much of an investigation there.

The university also issued an apology for my behaviour. In my view they should have issued a statement supporting me, both in relation to accepting that people have legitimate views, and in response to the hate speech directed at me.

Since the sacking and the media interest most of the comments and emails have been in agreement with me, which is not surprising given that the evidence is that dual language road signs and fewer people are speaking Welsh, despite the ridiculous and expensive support of the Welsh government and other organisations. Several of the supporting emails I have received have pointed out some of the problems with the Welsh government supporting the use of Welsh, such as sending letters out in Welsh when three quarters of people don’t underfstand it, or councils being forced to put Welsh on their signage when they wanted to focus on English to help emergency workers.

Some of the comments dirfected against me suggested that I would have difficulties driving in other countries. The reality is that I have driven in more countries than most people, including most countries in Europe, China, India, and North and South America. I can read Cyrillic, so I am fine in places such as Serbia and Ukraine. Most languages are at least partly intelligible becuse they share origins. The biggest problem I faced was China because I don’t understand the character. The second worst is Wales, partly because of the dual signage generally, and partly because there is nothing in the language that an English speaker can get hold of, few similarities with other languages.

Welsh is not the national language of Wales, English is the national language, just as it is in the rest of the UK. Welsh/ is a minority language that is gradually dying despite efforts to revive it.

Media interest has calmed down now, but I have written an article for The Spectator, so we will see whether that kicks things off again. Fortunately the Wrexham post was honorary, so it has not changed my financial position.

The main issue out of all this is that of free speech, and how the University of Wrexham does not appear to believe in it. Someone on Facebook reported me for my comments. The vice chancellor’s kneejerk thoughtless response to this was to sack me. The reason given is that the university has a policy supportive of the Welsh language, considering it equal to English – when it patently is not equal. Any member of staff of the university has to obey this diktat or face the consequences. They can’t have views of their own. It is quite frightening that an organisation that calls itself a university does not allow people to express an opinion (in this case one supported by evidence) that differs from the received ‘wisdom’.

It becomes a little farcical if you remember that during one of the Covid lockdowns the very same VC took herself off to Ireland, blatantly breaking the law. It appears that the University of Wrexham condones lawbreaking but not someone expressing an opinion in the private sphere.

Another matter of some importance is the reaction of some people both on Facebook and a few (very small minority) of the emails I have received. The original post was on a Facebook group relataing to petty rage – note the word petty – so in my view I thought the group was about people expressing a view, and then people responding either with an argument opposing the view or with humour, but no, people who disagreed with me often expressed hate and abuse, and – significantly – failed to recognise what I actually stated. I said nothing against the Welsh people or the use of the Welsh language generally. People can speak whatever they like, and I have nothing against the Welsh.

I was called a racist (the Welsh are a different race? That is news to me. I thought they were British, just like me) and a xenophobe. If that were true I could not have functioned in my real job for so many years where most of the people I dealt with were of different races, cultures, and nationalities.

If the language becomes more popular then at one level that is fine – though the main purpose of language is communication, and so Welsh speakers, unless they also speak English, may have serious problems. Of course, as they all speak English, why not just have the signs in English? It will enhance road safety, which is surely more important than a nationalist obsession.

I do hope that the views of the VC of the University of Wrexham do not reflect the views of staff members. I hope they believe in free speech, otherwise the university shopuld just close down.

I wondered why these people could not construct an argument and resorted to hate speech – then I remembered the result of the Brexit vote.