To Be EU or Not To Be EU

One needs to commend Britain! The British sure know how to make me more of a bitch. Having actually stockpiled on some much needed rest prior to the ballot closing at 10pm, I turned on the BBC just before 10pm. The sound of Big Ben always makes me rather sentimental even at the best of times. And so when it bonged once more as voting centres closed, I have to admit I did well up a little bit. However, today my tears are really flowing. They say there are five phases to grieving. Denial was fairly brief here. Shock came next. Two others I can’t remember right now and then resignation is the last (I suspect that this 5th stage might be a long time before it arrives).

referendum

I landed in England on a glorious day back in February 1972 for what I thought would be my new country eventually. But I have always been an immigrant– albeit a well-integrated one. Yes, an immigrant. However, after the referendum result, I am even more of an immigrant. For those of you musically-predisposed, pay attention to Sting’s “An Englishman in New York”. The melody alone communicates all one needs to understand about being an immigrant. This is especially true when people suggest to you, as I don’t carry a British passport, to return to “whence you came from”. Sweet. The outcome of this ballot has opened up not a can but a pressure cooker of worms. While I do sympathise with dear David Cameron for essentially being forced to resign after this result, what really needs to be asked is why the bloody hell did he call the referendum in the first place!!