Community leaders

Who the fuck are they? Speaking for myself, I simply don't feel anyone is leading me. Indeed apart from friends and family, I doubt if anyone gives a bugger about me.

But out they come on the news when tragedy strikes, be it a natural disaster or a riot or some other event which causes trouble for people. You have all heard it, 'Community leaders are calling for peace tonight,' or 'Community leaders are trying to help the community to get over the shock,' and so on and so on.

Quite honestly, if my house was torched by some raving bastards, I'd want the fire brigade here first and then the police hunting for the sods that perpetrated the attack.

More often than not, these so called community leaders are of a religious brand; you know the sort you have neither seen nor met in the last 20 years or ever. Do I really need to be told that 'God is merciful' in the aftermath of an earthquake? My last contact with religion was but a week ago when I met two nice Mormon lads in the street. Apart from that, I cannot recall any contact with any church of any type for donkey's years.

Local councillors and parliamentary candidates might be thought to be community leaders but all they want from me is my vote. Actually, that may be a bit unfair. They do respond when I harrass them and some have been helpful but more often than not, it has been me leading them rather than the other way around.

So I am lost. I suspect these community leaders are a media invention.