Friday, March 23, 2007

How quickly the times change (when convenient)

In January I posted about Plaid's involvement in a language protest in Bangor leading to some Cymdeithas arrests in Morrisons - see here. Ther was not enough Welsh in use.

Okay I accepted that this is a legitimate issue, close to many nationalists hearts and there is a long tradition of law breaking back to the 1960's :

"During the 1960s and 1970s similar non-violent protests followed and campaigners were fined or imprisoned. Among them was Dafydd Iwan, the popular Welsh singer".

So from the 1960's to 2007 in Bangor we see a radical line of Welsh political life fighting for bilingualism.

So why therefore would Dafydd Iwan's brother, the Plaid candidate in Arfon - Alun Ffred Jones, place English only adverts in the Bangor Mail ? Surely not to try and fool the more cosmopolitan Bangor ?

Yes, the advert happened this week in at least two papers (so no mistake) and I must assume the local MP Hywel Williams will now lead the language protestors on his own office, as it shared by the AM, for placing these monolingual adverts. I wonder what Plaid's manifesto and fringe meeting are telling others to do with the language ?

Morrisons, BT etc please take note that monolingual adverts are good enough for Plaid so why should you worry ?

ps My advice is that everyone should have a respect for our bilingual, and cosmopolitan, community and try and make a contribution. I include Morrison's, BT etc in that but will do not yet see a need to legislate to that effect.

2 comments:

Cymro said...

In the words of our great leader Rhodri, "boring, boring, boring".

Aled said...

What a really good point Martin.

No answer from the Plaid Cymru member either.

Might just be you got them there - I mean surely the Nationalists would play two faced games in that way. Surely not...