"Rules are Rules"

We’re all familiar with the cliche “rules are rules.”  
The vast majority of us agree that the civilised world depends on the structure they provide, otherwise we would live in a state of anarchy. Most of us would also agree that this adage sets a standard by which we the majority live our lives as we strive for a society that lives in peace and order, for a state in which we can live our lives and raise our families in safety and harmony.

There are however some clear contradictions in that as we are also happy to bend these same rules in a way that suits us and in a way we all feel we can justify. After all who amongst us can say we haven’t driven over 30 miles per hour in a zone with a 30mph speed limit? Indeed the police themselves generally allow a tolerance of around 33 mph in town and up to 80mph on motorways before they take action. Who amongst us hasn’t taken a piece of stationary from our workplace or used company time for personal use?

Our court system would be completely overrun were we pursue these transgressions. The truth is we see them as lying within a margin of acceptability, as behaviour most all of us are capable of and indeed engage in, excusable. That being said we are also horrified when we hear of someone who travels at 60 miles per hour in a 30 limit and similarly we would be horrified if we hear of large scale theft by an employee. Those acts are seen as beyond the margins and highlight the contradictions that exist in our interpretation of right and wrong.

Up and down the country there are cemeteries which are overseen by The Church of England. The Church of England sets rules and regulations for these cemeteries, but, as with the transgressions described above, these rules are administered with a degree of sensitivity, and in the overwhelming majority of cases allowances are made with ‘margins of tolerance‘ applied, where rules are not strictly enforced.

A small token of love and affection placed on a child’s grave would be (and why shouldn’t they be) tolerated in overwhelming majority of these cemeteries, even though such tokens are not strictly ‘within the rules.’ 

Acting with sensitivity and understanding and applying a common sense approach, allowances are made creating a parallel to that of the motorist just above the speed limit, a level of tolerance is applied. 

Sadly the attitude of the overseers of one Church of England cemetery in Bredhurst, Kent is very different. The ‘rules’ in that cemetery are applied in the harshest manner possible. Tokens of love have been removed from several children’s graves and to compound these cruel acts these items have in the past been destroyed and lost forever. 

Were the police to administer ‘rules’ to the letter of the law we would all feel we were living in a draconian police state and this would lead to major objections.

Most reasonable, rational people would see a direct parallel between heavy handed policing and the way those in power at the said church in Kent are unnecessarily, cruelly and harshly applying the 'rules' whilst they hide behind the statement that 'they are only applying the rules,' but they are doing so to 'the letter of the law.'

Our blogs are our opinion, we are but opening the conversation with regards to our experiences.