Recently my blog has been overtly (and uncharacteristically) political. I’m even starting to bore myself. But I have one last comment to make in the interests of trying to articulate the sense of my feelings here.
I am asked to unite. To band together with the leave voters to take us forward in this mess. To respect democracy, the majority decision to leave.
There is a problem with that, isn’t there? Yes, I believe in unity. Yes, I believe in working with those whose opinions may differ from mine for the common good, to find and work with and within our common ground.
It is that belief, in fact, that meant I was so passionate about my Remain vote. To be part of a European Union that, whatever its faults, had that common striving of purpose as its central tenet and aim. Now I feel that I am being asked by those who have told Europe to fuck off – who have rejected the very concept of co-operation itself – to co-operate with them for no reason other than we are all British, so we have to pull together now for the sake of our British-ness.
Sorry. You have shown scant regard for anyone else in Europe. Scant regard for the Pole, for the Muslim, for those now being subject to public displays of hate. You want me to ignore that and respond to your winks and nudges of how we all need to rally round for Britain.
I do not feel brotherhood with you because we were by fate born on the same island. You are appealing for me to respect you, when you have shown so little respect for almost everyone else who isn’t white and Anglo-Saxon. I don’t give a damn about you just because of your nationality.
I respect those with whom I feel a common sense of principle. Wherever they were born. And right now – that isn’t you. I find your appeal to me to bury our differences and work with you just because we are both British hypocritical, given your abject refusal to work with other people that differ from you in such meaningless arbitrary ways. The difference between you and me is deep-rooted and fundamental in a way that birthright and skin tone are not.
edge of the bell curve 
I am an American and was very shocked by the decision to leave the EU. I have family who live in Ireland and are involved in politics and everyone was floored with this. I’m learning more about the trade agreements and the mess it will make now that they left. Also, it was securing European peace between nations since its incarnation.
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I agree with you totally, I’m not sure how to accept that people voted to leave, and I don’t want to unite with them. The decision seems rooted only in hate, indignation and ignorance. I want to be accepting and open minded with people I know who voted to leave, but I feel like maybe if I had been more bullheaded and emotional in my conversations with them before the vote, then I might have got through. Sometimes reason and calm are useless.
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Yes, it’s a dilemma. Not one to which I have an easy answer.
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It truly was a shock. I was convinced Scotland would vote yes for last year’s referendum and positive the UK would vote no last week. Wrong twice but this one is far more dangerous, it damages the people living here and world wide perceptions. My only solace is Scotland will now get its independence and rejoin the EU. It shouldn’t have to be this way but this united union of countries on such a small island is having a massive communication problem. Why we can’t work together baffles me. Those now asking for cooperation are simply ungracious victors and the sad truth is we will have to work with them if only to make sure that we can live beyond the week. *sigh*
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