On 10/02/07, Roger Millin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > IMO for all those people to have got off their backside and DONE > something is nothing short of miraculous. Apathy re our political > system and the hope of getting anything changed is eating into the > will of many people, and certainly the young, to get involved with > politics and voting. You only have to look at the falling proportion > of the population who bother to vote in general or local elections to > see proof of that.
Yes, I agree. To do anything in this apathetic political climate is a miracle. But doing something political that gets politicians to notice is something entirely different. It only takes a moment or two to sign an e-petition, yet if you live in Leeds, or Doncaster, Derby or (God forbid!) Coventry, it takes a week of planning and a whole day of your life to go to London with your friends and family to protest about something you really care about. That's what people did at the anti-Iraq War demonstration, from these towns and more. A million of them according to the Met's figures - which means probably twice that amount in reality. And in addition there were something like 40 or 50 local demonstrations ranging from big gatherings in Manchester to two or three people getting together in villages. And what notice did this government take? More damage was done to democracy by that decision IMO than any other in my lifetime. Steve
