The Blog of a Bridport Peace Protester
I have been protesting for an hour most Saturdays, against the war since it started. But I do take holidays – lots of them – but when I am in Bridport, I do my thing!
Actually, I was part of a larger group made up of Quakers amongst many other people. When the war started most of the protestors stopped protesting! My thinking was that it was as wrong when it had started as it was before it started. It has got much worse since.
I take a sign made from canvas with a message painted on it. I amended an old sign which read:
BLAIR = TERRORIST
IMPEACH HIM
TRY HIM
JAIL HIM
To read
BLAIR = TERRORIST
IMPEACH HIM
TRY HIM
FORGIVE HIM
Many people approach and make comments. Those who have something positive to say are mostly willing to stay and have a chat. Those who think that I am an idiot, make some comment and rush off as if I am about to assault them!
This message is addressed to you, dear reader, to the universe, and to the “rushers off”:
To the “rushers off”, I would like to say, “Please don’t rush off. Engage with me. Tell me what you think. Allow yourself to listen to my point of view.” And if you really think that you are un-persuadable, stick around anyway, as nothing discredits a peacemaker like a charge of assault in the magistrates’ court.
I will skip the positive comments today. The first negative comment was, “Are you going to let Saddam carry on butchering his own people?”
The last report I have is that claims by Tony Blair that '400,000 bodies had been found in Iraqi mass graves' is untrue, and only about 5,000 corpses have so far been uncovered (See observer guardian story) As a report in the Lancet believes that 655,000 “excess” deaths have occurred since the invasion, this does not seem like a very good deal.
Does one dead Iraqi feel good that 655,000 of his countrymen, or 655,000 men, women and children have died since his death. Does he feel avenged?
The second negative comment I did not catch, but it began with the letter “F”. I am almost certain that it was not “fundamentally correct”, but this might be my prejudice.
Actually, the lady censored herself having uttered “F” – this was followed by a sweeping hand gesture, as if she wished to sweep away opposing opinions to hers with a sweep of her hand.
A woman came up to me, she thought that she might like to point out a fact that had not escaped me, the fact that it was Christmas, and that I ought to be practising goodwill towards all men.
Christmas, in my opinion, is better than a visit to the dental hygienist, but only just, and I have just decided with newly mustered goodwill, that he should forgive rather than be jailed.
The man Blair has decided to volunteer me as a target for terrorism by supporting George Bush in invading Iraq, by allowing post invasion Iraq to go to hell in a handcart by searching for weapons of mass destruction, which everyone knew were not there, and by failing to stand up to the Neo-cons regarding Israel Palestine.
I believe that he should be forgiven on the basis that he must have been cronically misguided, or guided by his hubris, his belief that he is right, and that the 2 million people who shuffled through London in February 2003, were wrong. But he must be impeached and tried, and probably admit his error.
So “Lady Rusher Off”, I am pushing the boat out as far as forgiveness is concerned, so far that I can hardly see the side of the river.
The people espousing contrary views all seemed to be very ugly. This might be my prejudice. It might be that I fail to see the beauty in people who espouse what are basically ugly views. Or it might be that they have rushed off before I see their beauty. Or alternatively, it might be that I am correct. It might be that people who are physiognomically challenged, feel themselves to be so ugly; so physiognomically challenged, that they are happy for Mr Bush and Mr Blair to unleash death, injury and disfigurement on innocent people, in a far away country, upon people who they have never met, and are never likely to meet.
I had a telephone conversation with my very old friend, George, last night. He said that he thought Al Quaida were more ruthless than their opponents.
I cannot see it myself.
Someone who is prepared to kill himself, along with his victims has to be “better” than someone who is prepared to kill people from a height of 30,000 feet, at very little risk to himself, whilst being rewarded with a salary, a pension and potentially the title of “War Hero,” but at the very least, a medal or two, and the title of War Veteran.
I do many things in the “faith” that they do me good; but to get up every morning, go and train to be an aircraft pilot, so that upon some distant day, I could kill myself and many others is faith that my “faith” could not get close to comprehending.
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