If you do, perhaps you think of a mop of white hair and a whirlwind of energy.
Or maybe you think of some of his famous one-liners, the things he said that make Boris Johnson look positively shy in comparison.
Rhodri Morgan was the second First Minister of Wales.
The First Minister leads the Welsh government. We have only ever had three: Alun Michael, Rhodri Morgan, and our current leader, Carwyn Jones.
He passed away on Wednesday (16th May,) at the age of 77.
At a time when the fledgling Welsh Assembly was floundering, Rhodri Morgan stepped in and stood up for us.
He understood. He understood that people are important. Our people are important.
He shaped the Assembly into a force for good, and stood up for Wales in terms of global trade.
He was by no means a perfect man. He had a tendency to look 'scruffy,' and could come across, sometimes, as bumbling. But he cared.
He served the people, and served y gwlad. He was generous, kind, and down-to-earth; a big personality, but a gentle one.
I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but I grew up under his Assembly Government. He was a good man, and a good leader.
He knew what we wanted, and protected our interests with a no-nonsense attitude, and an understanding of both us and the country.
Unusually for a politician, he was almost universally regarded with affection. Even those who didn't 'like' him, didn't actively dislike him.
An Oxford and Harvard educated man, yes, but one who never got caught in the disconnect that that brings to so many 'posh' boys. He still cared about us.
Absent from the tributes was the voice of Theresa May.
She may claim to be working towards a more united country, but her actions belie her words.
Her failure to leave even the simplest of tributes (a simple 'sad news' would have done it, honestly) shows the truth - she doesn't care about us.
We cared about him. He mattered to us.
And so we say goodbye to 'the Father of the nation.'
Heddwch i'w lwch. Hwyl fawr Rhodri.
I love how patriotic you are, Cee! Not only are you raising awareness to the other people in your country, but your educating us as well!
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone's ever referred to me as 'patriotic' before! XD Lol. And I do try *blushes* ;)
DeleteThat's so sad. I try not to publicly talk much about politics for fear of ruffling feathers, but I'm sure I won't ruffle many when I say Theresa May is a bit of a dick! Did you see the article about her refusing to vote for any LGBT rights? Like any at all, every time there was a vote for something, she avoided it. Horrid!
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I've never been a fan of Theresa May (and I'm not afraid to talk politics! Lol!) but I did expect her to have some basic decency and respect for both Rhodri Morgan and Wales as a whole. I guess I expected too much.
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