On Sun, 7 Nov 2004 03:22:30 +0200, Lasse Karlsson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Paul, > > What you're saying in this and previous messages in the same thread makes > absolutely no sense to me. > > How in the world does "sickness of the United Kingdom", "intense hatred of > religion", American warfare, German gas chambers and "scum" come in to Bob's > posting pictures of traditional bonfires, originally stemming from Guy > Fawkes' et alumnis' failed attempt to blow up the British Parliament in 1605? > > In what way do "the Brits celebrate atrocities of their own"? (What > atrocities are you referring to?) >
Well, here's my take on things. I had no idea until tonight (thanks to Bob's most informative post) that Mr. Fawkes' uprising was of a religious nature. I knew about his group trying to blow up the Parliament buildings, but I didn't know why they tried to do that. Whatever the reason, it seems to me that in today's terms, his was an attempted act of terrorism. Even with the best of intentions, the ends certainly don't justify the means. While it's sad that the discovery of the plot led to even more intolerance against Catholics in England, I don't think that dealing the Guy and his co-conspirators in the way that they did was harsh for the times (although I would never condone the barbaric act of the death penalty). So, to sum up, it seem pretty obvious that he was executed as a terrorist, not as a Catholic. I wonder if perhaps Paul misunderstood the article? That effigies are burned and fireworks fired on Guy Fawkes day seems a childish remnant of days or yore, more than a celebration of intolerance. In a similar manner, Halloween isn't a celebration of devilish forces, but a fun night for kids to dress up and eat candy. The original meanings of both events have, I'd suggest, dimmed with the passage of time. Hopefully, this will not end up as a big flame war. cheers, frank -- "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson
