Why Firing an RNLI Volunteer Angered Me This Much

Lets set the scene. I'm eating Evening Primrose Oil tablets like their going out of fashion. I've endured #SugarGate with McDonalds recently. Its fair to say, I'm at the stage of life, where things irritate me more than might be usual. But be it for gross misconduct or other overinflated, or even completely fabricated reasons; the case of the Whitby volunteers who have been stood down by the RNLI was the straw that broke the camels back.

The difference between the supposedly thinking office workers in every walk of life, and the banter of normal down to earth people is a gaping chasm. A Humber Bridge like structure might as well be needed to close the gap. Us and Them. Me and You.

There is a difference between the language we might use, they might use, the images we might brush off, the ones they think are disgusting, the jokes we might think are funny, the level of political correctness we find ourselves modelled by versus those that rage against its very drain on democracy. The folk that have banned words like workman in the workplace because its sexist, and the level of distain they might feel for the less affluent or even worse, the less well educated. Those on the beaches of Normandy fighting for justice and freedom, and those hiding out waiting for it all to be over.

It's why there are wine bars and pubs.

Me, I just like people who are nice. People, who have a decent set of ethics. In my posting to Facebook my livid objection to the actions of the RNLI, a couple of crew, contacted me, asking for support for individual cases because I am adamant that the RNLI as a publicly funded organisation, should be listening to the public. And I'm one of them. I'm sitting here aghast at the cowing of these brave men and women at the hands of the organisation to the point they are asking a complete stranger to bat for their corner.

And then of course there are the mugs. The mug in question was subjective. The social media material close to the wire. But it still wasn't firing material for a volunteer. It is subjective. Entirely. What offends me, doesn't offend you. What I don't give a toss about, you are really really passionate about. A good example is the case of my friends daughter, who was banned from instagram because she was posting pictures of embroidered lady nudes. (see www.mudethreads.com) Really? These are the people who need to get out more. And if you're one of them, ask yourself the question. Must we really erase everything at its lowest benchmark?

The mug issue; the social media glitch: It's merely a rap over the knuckles from the thinking people to the less educated (If you honestly believe thats the lie of the land), and get on with life saving. Don't let it happen again etc.

Volunteering at anything, gives someone the chance to give something back. Volunteering at sea, in a role that comes at no PAYE cost to the organisation and is not a shout to sniff at comes with a risk to life on par with a fire fighter but is paid nothing. The NHS pays a paramedic between ￡21,909 to ￡28,462.

My view of the role that every lifeboat man (or woman) does, for free is done because of the community attachment to the lifeboat. The pulling together to help those in danger is about those people in danger being working fishermen of the community, or merely friends and relatives who must be helped and insured against disaster. The RNLI took that honour away from an MBE awardee, for 'joyriding' yet it was fine for them to take big donators out on sightseeing shouts. Whaddya' know: Us and Them.

Should a ship carrying freight or holiday passengers, God forbid, get into difficulty off Flamborough Head, you know who you want on your watch. And its the guys that know the sea, that know what they're doing off Dogger bank with the Lifeboat. In these instances those lads will run anyway towards the distressed. Because in those communities it's literally All Hands on Deck for a reason.

No one is turning Ben Laws away should the Titanic sink again mug or no mug.

And one more thing. Where is the element of provocation? I imagine irritating Miss Goody Two Shoes whoever she is, must have earned the 'mugging' somehow. But there is no mention of that.

And whether the RNLI listen or not, they should. Because its the right thing to do. And if the RNLI don't, then its the end of the organisational structure that exists today and the introduction of paid seamen, and lifesavers to man their boats and the end of their lucrative advertising ploy: Our volunteers.