Thursday, September 16, 2010

I'M NOT USUALLY IMPRESSED WITH WORDS LIKE LORD, SIR OR MAJESTY BUT, IN THE CASE OF SIR JAMES BLACK, I WILL MAKE AN EXCEPTION.

When your face appears on a stamp you could say you have made it big time, some people get their image on a stamp or their picture shown worldwide but even then it doesn’t begin to tell the story of their genius their character and the contribution they made to the world. Such a person is Sir James Black the Nobel prizewinning physician and pharmacologist who died earlier this year, he appears on a stamp launched today. A truly remarkable man who happens to have been born in Uddingston and raised in Fife or put another way he was Scottish born. Born in that part of the UK called Scotland and we should be proud of him. I am often accused of being in some silly way anti Scottish which is rubbish and Sir James Black is a hero and should be celebrated as such because of his life and achievements. It’s nice and it’s a bit of a bonus to be able to say “I come from the same country as Black and Alexander Fleming” Etc. as long as we don’t fall into the trap which cod patriots often fall into of associating in some way their greatness with being Scottish. Scotland can no more claim the credit for Sir James Black’s gifts and moral fibre than it can be blamed for the Moors Murderer Scottish born Ian Brady, good or bad they belong to the world.

James Black’s greatness manifests itself to me in two major ways, I can’t begin to understand how his brilliant mind worked but I can appreciate what his mind produced and I can also appreciate how he lived his life. His life outside the laboratory or high academia was unremarkable and identical to millions of people who work marry and raise a family, so what I hear you ask? Well; had he chosen to he could have lived his life as one of the richest people in the world, rich in fame and adoration as well as “wealth beyond the dreams of avarice” Quite literally millions of people avoided death due to his invention of the ‘Beta Blocker’ for heart problems and millions more due to his invention of the drug Cimetidine which treats stomach ulcers. These two inventions saved the health service billions of pounds and continue to do so; millions of operations for these conditions became unnecessary because of James Black and his beautiful inquisitive mind, these are the two major manifestations which make him great his achievements and his lack of interest in making money from them.

I would rather see statues to people like James Black and Alexander Fleming than some of the so called Scottish heroes real or imagined which we see today, these people are more entitled to be called heroes and have our children taught about them than past imaginary loosely researched heroes who beat up the English. A man like Black epitomises what is best about the human race. We should use him as an example to future generations, a man dedicated to science and saving lives without a thought for personal gain. How great would it be if society used people like him to look up to and copied his character but: hold on now this is beginning to sound like Socialism, what a great idea.

10 comments:

G Laird said...

Dear Mr Kelly

Black may have his face on a stamp but I am sure your name appears on lavatory walls.

That is much bigger than a stamp and costs more.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

By George Laird at 11:13

Dear Mr. Laird, why do you insist on using and abusing Glasgow University in this way? It must be obvious to you by now that you are a laughing stock.

What are you all about; I would genuinely like to know. Is it just that the blogosphere is cheaper than therapy?

Anonymous said...

Bampots of the world unite!

George and Terry, together at last.

Two utterly delusional, deeply unpleasant individuals who both think that their cretinous outpourings have some kind of merit. While in reality they demonstrate only their tribalism, bigotry and somewhat limited education (formal or otherwise).

It's like watching to piss-stained jaikies screaming at each other in the street. Guys, you deserve each other. I look forward to seeing further intemperate abuse randomly hurled at each other as well as innocent by-standers.

Yours etc Andy.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

By Anonymous on 18/09/10


Andy welcome to the “Bampots of the World” George, Terry and now Andy. I’m sure George will join me in welcoming another piss-stained jaikie to the club.

G Laird said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cllr Terry Kelly said...

George and Andy – I withdraw: I’m out of my depth: not in your league. The exclusive “bampots of the world” club is back to two, go to it lads, my money is on George.

Anonymous said...

Dont think there is anything silly about your anti-Scottishness Tel. Glad to see you sticking it to the Jocks - they don't like it up em. Keep it up.
Best, Roger Symms

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

By Anonymous on I'M NOT USUALLY IMPRESSED WITH WORDS LIKE LORD, SI... at 13:20

I don’t believe that there is such a thing as Scottishness, the word is not in my large Collins dictionary nor is it on the dictionary attached to this word pro. thingy.

I don’t feel any different toward Scots. Than I do to anyone else and I certainly don’t dislike someone because of where they come from. If we were to like someone and regard them as special because of their origin we would be liking some strange people, Alex (the spiv) Salmond is Scottish for instance.

Anonymous said...

May be this link can clarify?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Scottish_sentiment

Could you be Paisley's answer to Kelvin terry?

Joe

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

By Anonymous at 14:50

It’s not that complicated really. There is absolutely no merit whatsoever in being Scottish, being born in one place as opposed to another is utterly meaningless. I find people who claim to have something going for themselves because they are born in Scotland or indeed any other country pathetic and sadly lacking in any self respect. The logical conclusion to such daft delusions is “IT might be crap but at least it’s Scottish crap, not like that rotten old English crap” do you recognise that?
You could well be better than some folk and worse that others but where you come from has no bearing on that, it’s nonsense