I happened to be at the National Eisteddfod on Monday, and I could see the language fascists here and there, but paid them no attention, safe in the knowledge that I'm better than them. These are the people who would cut off their noses to spite their faces when it comes to language in Wales - you could be a Welshman who finds a cure for some debilitating disease, heralded as a hero for conquering death, but because you can't siarad the Cymraeg they'd treat you like dog doings.
I had a good time at the Eisteddfod, despite the language barrier - maybe I've just been surrounded by Welsh for long enough for the osmosis to kick in, but I found it a nice day out. Turns out I was fortunate to be in the right places...
A public meeting on the Welsh assembly was disrupted by jeering and a walkout at the National Eisteddfod after a contributor spoke in English. How dare they even think about talking about the political state of Wales in a language other than Welsh! What's remarkable here is the woman who was booed off is a member of Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalists, who are normally perceived as having language fascisistic tendencies... so I applaud Professor Laura McAllister, even if she's from a different political sphere to me.
A children's show at one of the biggest cultural festivals in Wales was stopped because it was not in Welsh. Mr T Ricks, whose Punch and Judy show was being translated into Welsh at the National Eisteddfod in Newport, south Wales, had been invited there by a charity. Oh teh nos!!!1! A Punch and Judy show will definitely erode the great language roots and destroy the memory of Owain bleedin Glyndwr!
I find it pathetic. We're a bilingual nation. The Eisteddfod organisers have been trying to convince us that there's something for everyone at the event regardless of the language you speak, but it's pretty clear from this that there's something for everyone provided you don't mind not being able to see or do anything of any note if you can't speak Welsh. For shame. Keeping the language alive is important but jeering and not giving people the time of day for being part of the 80% that don't speak it is sad, and counterproductive for the language and its perception.
For shame.
UPDATE: It would seem I'm in good company. Lord Elis-Thomas, the presiding officer of the National Assembly, used exactly the same phrase as me (although in Welsh) at the political debacle. The webpage linked to above has been updated to include his comments. This quote from one of the jeering crowd is my favourite:
"The Welsh-only rule exists in the eisteddfod. I came to this meeting expecting that rule to be respected. And I happened to be sitting behind Dafydd Elis-Thomas, of all people, who was calling those who were calling for Welsh to be spoken, fascists. One starts to wonder where we're heading in Wales."
In America he'd be suing her for distress, embaressment, stress, depression, briefed, debriefed and numbered, I imagine. For shame.
