Capt Lightning
Well-known Member
- Location
- Historic Buchan, Scotland
Forgive me for not understanding the American health system, or what Obama is trying to achieve. However, here is a little bit of history from this part of Scotland. It's a true story - a part of local history - and took place just over 100 years ago....
In my local town of Turriff, is a bronze, life-size statue of a white short horn cow, known in Scotland as the "Turra Coo".
Under the liberal government of the 1910s, the Chancellor, David Lloyd George introduced a scheme whereby National insurance contributions (by employer) became compulsory for all workers aged 16 - 70. This caused outrage among the farmers local to Turriff, who claimed that their contributions were too high; and that, as they were unlikely to be off work due to illness like industrial workers, it was unfair for them to have to pay for a service they were unlikely to use.
In Turriff, local farmer Mr Robert Paterson farmer refused to stamp the insurance cards of his employees. This resulted in sheriff going to repossess property to the value of £22 from his farm. However, this was more difficult than it seemed as officers could not move property without local assistance, and the locals refused to help in protest.
So, the Sheriff removed the only piece of property which was easily mobile: Patersons' white milk cow, which was led to Turriff on foot. The next day, the citizens of Turriff found the cow tied in the village square, decorated in ribbons and painted with the words 'Lendrum to Leeks' in reference to Lloyd George's Welsh origin, and representing the sheriff's and government's victory over the hostile farmers. The cow was put up for sale. The response was a near riot, and a 1000-strong mob proceeded to pelt the sheriff's officers with rotten fruit.
The cow was eventually sold but the local community bought back the cow for Lendrum, where the cow died six years later and was buried in a corner of the farmland.
The National insurance tax came into force and is still with us today. Mr Paterson and his cow became local folk heroes and still are to this day - celebrated in music, song, poetry and paintings. And in Turriff main street stands a bronze statue to the event.
In my local town of Turriff, is a bronze, life-size statue of a white short horn cow, known in Scotland as the "Turra Coo".
Under the liberal government of the 1910s, the Chancellor, David Lloyd George introduced a scheme whereby National insurance contributions (by employer) became compulsory for all workers aged 16 - 70. This caused outrage among the farmers local to Turriff, who claimed that their contributions were too high; and that, as they were unlikely to be off work due to illness like industrial workers, it was unfair for them to have to pay for a service they were unlikely to use.
In Turriff, local farmer Mr Robert Paterson farmer refused to stamp the insurance cards of his employees. This resulted in sheriff going to repossess property to the value of £22 from his farm. However, this was more difficult than it seemed as officers could not move property without local assistance, and the locals refused to help in protest.
So, the Sheriff removed the only piece of property which was easily mobile: Patersons' white milk cow, which was led to Turriff on foot. The next day, the citizens of Turriff found the cow tied in the village square, decorated in ribbons and painted with the words 'Lendrum to Leeks' in reference to Lloyd George's Welsh origin, and representing the sheriff's and government's victory over the hostile farmers. The cow was put up for sale. The response was a near riot, and a 1000-strong mob proceeded to pelt the sheriff's officers with rotten fruit.
The cow was eventually sold but the local community bought back the cow for Lendrum, where the cow died six years later and was buried in a corner of the farmland.
The National insurance tax came into force and is still with us today. Mr Paterson and his cow became local folk heroes and still are to this day - celebrated in music, song, poetry and paintings. And in Turriff main street stands a bronze statue to the event.
