Friday 17 June 2016

THE ELEPHANT'S CHILD

Paul Sweeney of 'London Taxis' asks Lenny Etheridge,
WHO ARE DADS DEFENDING DAUGHTERS?


Paul Sweeney

"Dads Defending Daughters came to life through three Licensed London Taxi Driving Grandfathers; Danny Hussey, Sean Pier and Lenny Etheridge, who have six daughters.
Their concern was for the welfare of their daughters travelling in minicabs.

"A unified cab drivers' fight against a government supported conglomerate, brought to light the dangers of an intentionally deregulated system, where a corrupt regulator turned a blind eye to rape and sexual and assault to appease rich investors and greedy politicians.
Thus the sleeping giant of Dads Defending Daughters was woken.
We are parents first - taxi drivers second.

"The epitome of who we are can be summed up in recent events.
We planned an unofficial protest in Parliament Square, for Friday 17th June 2016.
The idea was to have one hundred placard waiving, noisy cab drivers to stand around all four sides of the Square, to get our message seen.
We knew there would be no MPs and very few Lords about on a Friday afternoon. The Square was chosen for its busy location, so passing traffic and pedestrians would have time to read our banners.
We were not interested in educating MPs, who are fully aware of the rapes and sexual assaults being allowed to continue in the name of consumerism.
Ask any MP to acknowledge the elephant in the room, and they will make their excuses and leave.
So no, we are not concerned about self interested politicians with no backbone, who would rather tow the party line, than protect the masses.
Then came the tragic news that Labour MP Jo Cox had died.
So with sincere respect, we called off our protest.
After all, Jo Cox is a daughter too.

"DDD is not just about dads or daughters. It is about sons, husbands, wives, mothers, people without a voice, people unaware of the way they have been sold, put in danger, treated as acceptable collateral damage, so powerful men and women can become even more bloated.
We are not just about boisterous protests. We aim to name and shame politicians, lobbyists, investors, journalists, anyone who deals in misery for profit.

"DDD believes passionately in Union and Org unity.
We despair at the petty squabbling and jostling for position of one group or another.
All the Orgs and Unions have been of assistance to us; the LTDA, UCG, RMT, LCDC and Unite, have all played their part.
We are a cross-org group of about one hundred proactive, 'demo at the drop of a hat' members. With a contingent of around five hundred like-minded affiliated members we can call upon in a crisis.
Our initial inspiration came from groups like the Mayfair Mob, Shoreditch Mob and Flash Demo.

"The Dads Defending Daughters fight is a righteous one.
I truly believe To thine own self be true. Thou canst not then be false to any man."



THE ELEPHANT'S CHILD
by Rudyard Kipling

I keep six honest serving-men
  (They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
  And How and Where and Who.
I send them over land and sea,
  I send them east and west;
But after they have worked for me,
  I give them all a rest.

I let them rest from nine till five,
  For I am busy then,
As well as breakfast, lunch, and tea,
  For they are hungry men.
But different folk have different views;
  I know a person small
She keeps ten million serving-men,
  Who get no rest at all!

She sends em abroad on her own affairs,
  From the second she opens her eyes
One million Hows, Two million Wheres,
  And seven million Whys!

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