World of Chig   

26.10.05
Glorify terrorism! Incite religious hatred!

Celebrate Bonfire Night!

I do hope we're all making plans to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot next weekend. With 5th November falling on a Saturday this time, there's really no excuse not to, and it may well be the last chance we have without breaking the law. If Blair's idiotic legislation on inciting religious hatred and praising terrorism makes it onto the statute books, we may never be able to celebrate the capture of Guido Fawkes and his Catholic gang again, although it's open to debate whether we're celebrating what they tried to do, or the fact that they were caught. I've never quite worked that one out. As a Catholic who believes in parliamentary democracy, you can appreciate my dilemma.

It may sound far-fetched to think that either of these pernicious pieces of forthcoming legislation could stop such a longstanding British tradition, and of course the law-makers will tell us that it's not the intention, but, if this rubbish gets passed, come next year, some council, somewhere, will decide they can't run the risk of being prosecuted, and will refuse to organise or licence any displays. Then the paranoia will spread like wild, er, 'fire' and displays across the country will vanish. More people will then have unsafe illegal bonfire parties, more people will be injured, and eventually more people will be killed on bonfire night than terrorists have ever managed to kill in this country.

Fight back now! Write to your MP.

We'll be off to the display at the Warwickshire County cricket ground in Edgbaston. I presume they're not so bothered about scorch marks on the pitch, now that the season has ended.


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