Hands off our Vuvuzelas !!

Perhaps it is purely coincidental that this morning I listened with interest to Eamonn Holmes on Sky News Sunrise discussing with various people as to whether Britain has perhaps taken the health and Safety thing a step too far and then this evening when sitting down for my evening dose of media intelligence, I happened to interupt a debate that was on a par with those seen during the general election, on whether the African Vuvuzela should be banned during the world cup? Have people really got nothing better to talk about? They had even gone as far to invite a hearing specialist on to the show, who seemed to speak with such authority that there would categorically be many deaf english fans returning from South Africa in a couple of weeks time. The fact that she has probably never set foot in the country, nor been to an African football match or probably even held a vuvuzela is in my mind, what puts her and many other people in the same category as the idiots that banned conkers and who insisted kids wear goggles when using blutac (that's Prestick to South Africans!). They make these rules ... or suggestions as in this case based purely on worse case scenarios. Sure, if every person in a stadium blew their vuvuzela at the same time and into each others ears, we (or should I say they) would have a problem ... But this expert along with many others, seem to forget there is a common sense factor too. To her and everyone else that has apparently joined the 100,000 strong facebook group to ban the instrument, incase you did not realise by now - South Africans love Soccer almost as much at the Brits! More to the point, they have been blowing their vuvuzelas for years and to my knowledge, whilst the country still has it's fair share of challenges, an over population of deaf people is not one of them.

So, please - keep your health and safetly rules to yourself for a change and respect something that is literally part of a culture. Africa has waited a long time for this world cup, let them have their moment - Vuvuzelas and all!!