So today this Buzzfeed link came up on my Facebook news feed - 40 reasons why Scotland is better than England. Clearly it's a tongue-in-cheek list, but it got me thinking. I really dislike the "better than England" aspect of the title. Why can't Scotland just have a list of things that make it great, without having to make it into a rivalry or dig at another country? It's petty, and makes us look bad. Why can't we just be proud of who and what we are, as a standalone statement? This is something that irks me in other contexts too - whether it's women trying to justify their place in society by bashing men, or religious fanatics insulting other cultures to make themselves seem superior...it makes me very uncomfortable and I also think it totally negates the point being made if you have to couple your pride with mud-slinging.
Despite this, the list itself made me smile, and as things like this always do it did fill me with a flush of pride. Scotland is an incredible place, and I don't think it is fully understood by outsiders. I do think it's profile is rising, but I don't doubt that the image that springs to mind for the vast majority is a bottle of whisky draped in tartan, sitting on a hill above a loch whilst bagpipes play in the background. Lists like this one add a few other things into that mix, giving hints at the depths of the real Scotland.
The guy who posted it on FB is a passionate supporter of Scottish independence, and frequently posts links and memes from the YES side of the campaign. I envy his outright conviction on how he is going to vote., and some of what he posts is quite convincing (whilst some of it is just blatant propaganda). Myself, I'm still on the fence because I feel as if I don't know nearly enough to make such an important decision. Having said that, if there was a strong breeze I'm fairly certain that I would topple off, into the NO camp. I think the idea of independence is a nice one, but I don't know if it is really feasible and I don't know how it would impact the lives me, my family or anyone else in the country lead (or the lives of those in the rest of the UK and further, potentially).
But I think this is something that I really should be looking into. The question being asked of us in 2014 isn't a small one, and it isn't one that anyone should answer if they haven't done their homework. I think it would be irresponsible of me to answer one way or the other until I feel confident in my choice. I am worried though that not enough people will have this attitude, and that votes will be cast on the strength of a fear of change or because of football rivalry or because of a scene in Trainspotting, or any of a million different, ignorant reasons to vote one way or another. But I'm not sure how to go about really educating myself. Obviously the basic starting blocks are the campaigns on either side of the divide, and I think I have my head screwed on tight enough to be able to take bias and propaganda into consideration when looking at anything from either party. But I'd like something more neutral, which lays out in black and white the realities of a yes or no vote in terms of things I am concerned about (health care, education, can we afford to go it alone, etc). A Google search hasn't turned up anything like that though, which is incredibly disappointing because for your average person undertaking solo research is too much of an ask (whether it's a matter of the time they are able to dedicate to it, or their actual ability to conduct research). I think this is such an important issue that more should be getting done to educate people even on the basics...but all I see is report contradicting report on the news, and name calling on social media. Neither of which are helpful. Hopefully there is something in the pipeline to make sure we all get to make an informed choice.
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