Freedom Fighting
On such a depressing day, particularly for those of us living in the North West, the best thing we can all do is put aside our anger and remember what it is we love about being British.
For me the most important part of my British identity is freedom. Freedom to believe in whatever I choose to believe in, and so long as they harm no-one, the freedom to live my life in accordance with those beliefs.
My family were immigrants, Jews fleeing the persecution of Russian pogroms on my maternal side, and Irish seeking work on my paternal side. Such a background means I believe in freedom of thought and expression so vehemently that regardless of my disgust for their politics I absolutely support the right of parties such as the BNP to believe whatever they want to believe.
Previous generations laid down their lives for us to be able to live in such freedom. It's equally important now that we fight as bravely as they did. Instead of guns and bombs our weapons should be freedom and justice. It's too easy to think that nothing we do makes any difference and become apathetic. Just one small gesture performed every day by each one of us can make enough difference to change our society.
Today my gesture was to visit the grave of Lieutenant John O'Neill, VC. Lt O'Neill is buried in the cemetery a few streets away from my home. His grave was looking like it needed some love and attention when I discovered it a few days ago, so today I returned to clean it.
What will your gesture be?
5 comments:
My gesture was to remember my dad, who fought in WW II aboard a minesweeper in the Pacific, during the battle of Leyte Gulf in the Phillipines. His ship was blown up, he survived, but I know he hated talking about the incident.
My brother and I only found out the whole story almost 20 years after he died in 2006, at a reunion of his shipmates in Milwaukee. He was never able to attend, as he was too sick to attend the original reunion in the late 80's and died shortly after it happened.
I heard a very salient point by Nick Clegg this morning. In which he said that we should take notice of why people have voted for BNP, but that we didn't have to take on board BNP's philosophy.
As for what I did today, well I went to work to listen. But that's not what you mean I think, so the answer is nothing yet. But as I sit here I'm aware of how distasteful I find the BNP view and if it came anywhere near me I would feel the need to protest. Not because they don't have a right to their views, justI am allowed to disagree with them.
xx
Nice one BG and thank you.
That post has reminded me of a friend who died in a grenade attack eighteen years ago, Cpl Terry O'Neil. Also all my other friends and colleagues who have died or been injured around the world.
You're my new hero. What a dignified response to a throroughly depressing election result.
Hon, you're "only" a youngster and I'm an old fart, but I sincerely bow my head to you...You are something really special and have my deepest respect...you get it...
You have the knack of genuinely getting to the bottom of the deepest questions in the simplest possible way...
After being given six months to live, my grandad spent the next 50 years or so coughing up bits of his lungs before dying...he got fuck all appreciation from the state, but he balanced that by giving them fuck all respect in return...
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