I have decided to keep out of local politics (you may not have noticed yet!) as it has no great relevance to me anymore, and the people you fight for quite often disappear and let you get on with it for them!!!
But I would say that many years ago, long before carnival committees and Animal aiding, we at CBF were running charity events to raise money for local causes, which we just got on with. We raised amazing amounts of cash from one off events, some of which made great amounts despite being technically disastrous to the point of funny - but we would have made much more if it wasn't for the local politics and small mindedness of a significant number of people.
This one wouldn't go to that charity event if it was being held there, she won't go if he's going, but even though they won't go will still buy a ticket as their contribution (but actually didn't), another one won't go because they aren't a big fan of 70s music and so it went on and on and on - it was often like setting up a playgroup where the kids want to decide what's going to be what.
We played to packed houses and always had brilliant nights. It always made me wonder how much more we could have made to make the lives of (for example) disabled kids better, if the nonsense expats gauge their social lives by could just be put aside for one night, if they could find a table on the other side of the room from the people they despise and ignore them for a few hours.
Ultimately people may not like the subject of the quiz, or the music of the event, or the moustache of the owner - but it is desperately sad when people who can make real differences (without really trying too much) to real lives in their newly adopted home, and have precious little to do winter night after winter night, can't put petty reasons to one side and support ALL events that people have made an effort to organise. Finding a reason not to go is easy - it's the reasons to go that really matter.
