ParalympicsGB gave in too easily to Royal Mail

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/busin ... royal-mail" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is not the fact that the Royal Mail have said they will not produce stamps for each Team GB Paralympic gold medal-winner which is annoying (although it is). What has really got my goat is the supine way ParalympicsGB has accepted it.

In a post on their website, they said:

"In Beijing, ParalympicsGB won 42 gold medals over 10 days of competition, including nine in one day, and we are expecting a similarly world-class level of performance from our athletes this time around. As a result, it is logistically and practically impossible for Royal Mail to produce an individual stamp for every one of the gold medallists for ParalympicsGB."

So because our Paralympians are *better* than our Olympians they should get *less* recognition? Where's the logic in that?

You can be damn sure that if by some stroke of skill, luck and genius the Olympic team won 42 gold medals there'd be stamps of all of them. And how hard can it be to produce 42 stamps when they're already producing a minimum of 22 for the Olympics?

Yes, Paralympians get gold postboxes in their hometowns, and there will be a series of six stamps celebrating our winners, but when LOCOG has done very well to place the Olympics and Paralympics on equal terms, giving our able-bodied and disabled athletes the same measure of respect, this difference becomes all the more noticeable.

The truth is, the Royal Mail doesn't think that the public will be interested in Paralympic winners like Olympic winners, despite the Paralympics producing such stars as Tanni Grey-Thompson and (for South Africa) Oscar Pistorius. What's worse is ParalympicsGB seems to accept that, giving feeble gratitude for the little recognition it feels it deserves.

Paralympic achievements are no less than Olympic achievements and Paralympic athletes deserve no less recognition and support - especially from their own team.

[PhilthyPhil]

The truth is, the Royal Mail doesn't think that the public will be interested in Paralympic winners like Olympic winners

...and they are probably right

[NWpostie]

Discrimination and it belittles their achievements.

[fishtank]

The truth is, the Royal Mail doesn't think that the public will be interested in Paralympic winners like Olympic winners

...and they are probably right

Are the public really that interested in commemorative stamps anyway?

In the last couple of years we've had...Birds of Britain(1),FAB: The Genius of Gerry Anderson,Birds of Britain(2),Classic Locomotives of England,Musicals,Birds of Britain(3)..to name but a few.
This would have been a wonderful opportunity to give these real athletes,people who have overcame real difficulties and who earn f**k all for their trouble...something a little bit special.

Instead we have a public relations disaster.
Whoever made that ridiculous,idiotic decision should be signing on next week.

[Lounge Lizard]

The truth is, the Royal Mail doesn't think that the public will be interested in Paralympic winners like Olympic winners

...and they are probably right

Are the public really that interested in commemorative stamps anyway?

In the last couple of years we've had...Birds of Britain(1),FAB: The Genius of Gerry Anderson,Birds of Britain(2),Classic Locomotives of England,Musicals,Birds of Britain(3)..to name but a few.
This would have been a wonderful opportunity to give these real athletes,people who have overcame real difficulties and who earn f**k all for their trouble...something a little bit special.

Instead we have a public relations disaster.
Whoever made that ridiculous,idiotic decision should be signing on next week.

And while we're at it, stamps for Olympic silver and bronze winners, and gold winners from 2008, 2004 and other Olympics as far back as anyone can remember , and stamps for the top posters on here
Seriously though, this Paralympic thing is taken a bit far anyway, some wouldbe competitors faking or exaggerating their disability to gain a place and all that entails.

[Lounge Lizard]

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/busin ... royal-mail

It is not the fact that the Royal Mail have said they will not produce stamps for each Team GB Paralympic gold medal-winner which is annoying (although it is). What has really got my goat is the supine way ParalympicsGB has accepted it.

In a post on their website, they said:

"In Beijing, ParalympicsGB won 42 gold medals over 10 days of competition, including nine in one day, and we are expecting a similarly world-class level of performance from our athletes this time around. As a result, it is logistically and practically impossible for Royal Mail to produce an individual stamp for every one of the gold medallists for ParalympicsGB."

So because our Paralympians are *better* than our Olympians they should get *less* recognition? Where's the logic in that?

You can be damn sure that if by some stroke of skill, luck and genius the Olympic team won 42 gold medals there'd be stamps of all of them. And how hard can it be to produce 42 stamps when they're already producing a minimum of 22 for the Olympics?

Yes, Paralympians get gold postboxes in their hometowns, and there will be a series of six stamps celebrating our winners, but when LOCOG has done very well to place the Olympics and Paralympics on equal terms, giving our able-bodied and disabled athletes the same measure of respect, this difference becomes all the more noticeable.

The truth is, the Royal Mail doesn't think that the public will be interested in Paralympic winners like Olympic winners, despite the Paralympics producing such stars as Tanni Grey-Thompson and (for South Africa) Oscar Pistorius. What's worse is ParalympicsGB seems to accept that, giving feeble gratitude for the little recognition it feels it deserves.

Paralympic achievements are no less than Olympic achievements and Paralympic athletes deserve no less recognition and support - especially from their own team.

Do those who would like to see special stamps for each GB gold medal in the paralymics also expect to watch just as expensive, lavish opening and closing ceremonies or do they have the sense to realise that the Olympics and Paralympics aren't 'equal' at all ?

[clashcityrocker]

.........and stamps for the top posters on here

[TrueBlueTerrier]

.........and stamps for the top posters on here

By quality or quantity

[clashcityrocker]

.........and stamps for the top posters on here

By quality or quantity

Quality is a subjective argument. We'll just go for quantity.
And you should qualify for a gold postbox in Huddersfield.

[Lounge Lizard]

.........and stamps for the top posters on here

By quality or quantity

Quality is a subjective argument. We'll just go for quantity.
And you should qualify for a gold postbox in Huddersfield.

And if it's the top 29 they're :
True Blue Terrier 36195
POSTMAN 21935
clashcityrocker 16873
fishtank 16857
DGP1 16101
dvbuk55 11742
Straight4ward 8364
BELIAL 7071
Stormproof 6447
johnnyp 5874
Big Daz 5660
Lounge Lizard 5560
k979aaa 5081
andy2007 4718
IWW Fellow Worker 4069
L Tommo 3893
DirtyHarry 3718
krussel 3658
baldrick 3652
blue1873 3515
norbert 3336
TeeferTiger 3228
stokes11eg 3165
ROCKY 3044
brothermagrew 2978
custard 2813
Pat Ostman 2354
dingo 2123
smokerjim 1979