Legacy

I looked into the word ‘legacy’ recently and had some thoughts.

It seems to be a word that is thrown about a lot in relation to the Commonwealth Games, as well as things like the Olympics, City of Culture and even GI, but through simply reading its synonyms and associated words, it seems to be related to the upper class and rich.

For example,

‘Money’

‘Property’

‘Heritage’

‘Birthright’

‘Heirloom’

‘Bequest’

‘Bequethal’

‘Patrimony’

They all have connotations of something being passed down from a position of power, and more than likely to someone else who can then take on that power.

This doesn’t really sound like the legacy is going to be left to the working class people of Dalmarnock, or Bridgeton or anyone working class across the city, then.

It will be left to private business, they will be left the land; to build on and raise rent prices, accommodating the middle class and business sector, leaving people such as Margaret Jaconelli nothing.

To be honest some of the words make me feel quite sick, ‘birthright’ in relation to things like money and property sounds horrible. ‘Patrimony’ is completely outdated, and although these words have not been used by GCC, I feel they are somehow involved in the way they are going about this.