Happy Bonfire Night, Everybody !As we all go out to celebrate Bonfire Night tonight - on the eve of an election, well, the end of an election period, we should take some time to reflect on what we are celebrating.
On November 5, 1605, Catholic militant Guy Fawkes was thwarted in his attempt to commit mass murder - his primary target being the Protestant royal family of England. His secondary target - pretty much anybody. His hatred & political zealotry led him to not give a crap about anybody but his own faction's narrow interests.
In America, George Washington prohibited his troops from celebrating the anniversary as American Catholics who served under him were offended. It was the first act of American political correctness, I guess. But America was going to be a nation not bound to a religion and political assassination for religious gains has not been something in our history. In England, it seems to have lost it's religious connection, too, unless, maybe, you worship Lance Armstrong.
But around the world and in the US, religionists are constantly trying to weasel their way into power mixing nationalism & religion into a potent brew. It's a potent force. It's how Dutty Boukman freed Haiti. It's how Iran toppled the Shah. Now it's spread across northern Africa. Russia is cozying up with their previously shunned orthodox church on the highest levels and Chrysi Avgi is trying to get in good with the Greek Orthodox Church to marry religion with their nationalistic movement.
Can't happen here? Baloney. The far right are pushing a religious & nationalist agenda, manipulating people, frequently Catholics, into doing their dirty work. When they get control? Catholics will probably be as welcome in the US as they were in the colonies. We may not have a national religion now but that's the goal of quite a few people.
The nationalism will probably turn ugly along racial lines, too, like in Greece. Some folks like to say the Democratic party is the party of racism. Maybe 150 years ago, but those Democrats have been hemorrhaging for decades & have infiltrated another party with their racist, religionist, nationalist, elitist tory mindset.
Let's just have a nice community bonfire tonight & concentrate on unity and what we can do in the future instead of trying to light a primitive, tribalist fire of hatred in one another's hearts that could send our society back hundreds of years.
what the hell, sing Kumbaya & make S'mores.