Guy Fawkes

Latest Guy Fawkes posts

• OK then Jim. Perhaps you can explain why an opinion is 'dribble' if you happen to make a spelling mistake (which, coincidentally you did - there is an 'h' in Southover, oh and only one 'i' in bigoted, and while I am at it only two 'e's' in adequately, and one 'd', and there is a 't')
  
  
  Anyway, I would then like you to explain to me why it is any more racist to dress up as a Zulu on bonfire night than it is to dress as a native American, a Saracen, a Mongol, a Japanese or indeed a white person? Are you saying you can dress up as a white person, but not a black person? What is the difference? As has been said, if you want to find racism, you will interpret things to suit what you want to find, but it is not necessarily grounded on anything more than your imagination. Chances are that you are just looking for something to be offended by on behalf of someone else anyway. There is a marvellous post by Leif Eriksson in the magazine section of this site titled 'Outrageous Racist Atrocities' which highlights the silliness of all of this perfectly.
  
  
  Moving on to your rather ignorant statement about burning religious effigies. Perhaps you could take some time to understand what you are actually talking about before levelling such a criticism. How many times does this have to be spelled out? The effigy of the Pope to which you refer, is not burned (it is actually blown up but that is another matter) as a religious statement. On the contrary, it is actually a statement AGAINST religious bigotry and represents a particular historical Pope from 400 years ago in whose name an act of religious terrorism was attempted. Do you think that so many Catholics would be involved in bonfire if there was more to it than that? In the same way the effigy of Guy Fawkes represents one of the perpetrators of that act. You would not consider burning Guy Fawkes to be an anti-English statement would you ? - no, of course you wouldn't. Effigies have been made of many people - Bill Clinton and George Bush, but not because they are American, Condaleeza Rice, but not because she is black (or a woman), Osama Bin Laden, but not because he is a moslem, and a mad cow, but not because it was a Frisian (and no it wasn't a BULL so don't think we were having a go at you).
  
  
  
  You state that racist undertones permeate the whole town. A strange thing to say considering you also say that you live here. Do you include yourself in this, or your family or friends? I guess you would be horrified to be included in such a sweeping generalisation, so I am sure that you will understand the outrage felt by so many other Lewes residents having read the ramblings of an attention hungry hack.


• Speaking as someone, proud to have a Tibetan as an adoptive brother, I know that the Tibetan's in exile are incredibly impressed with Norman Baker. My brother was a refugee and came to the Pestolozzi Village and then to live with us in Lewes when he was sixteen. I can confirm that he his Tibet's leading expert on Harveys!
  
  He is a teacher but does not live in Lewes anymore. He has however, met with Norman on many occasions and believes that Norman does much to promote the Tibetan cause.
  
  
  Norman may be guilty of a technical issue here but for goodness sake, he must be the person to enter Parliament with the most honest intentions since Guy Fawkes. I am proud to have someone like Norman as my MP, someone who expouses that most Lewesian sense of free spirit and a headstrong desire to express it. Vote for some chinless wonder if you must but I will vote for Norman and if the Tories get in, we will get back to the worst excesses of self-interest and makeing the rich, richer.


• just in case somone DOESN'T know..Guy Fawkes, also known as Guido Fawkes, the name he adopted while fighting for the Spanish.


• Is it true that Guy Fawkes men, (the ones who legged it after he was caught) blew themselves up trying to dry out their wet gunpowder by the fire?


• Yes, Old Harrovian, of course 1605 rings some bells, and yes, Bonfire in Lewes is in part to do with the discovery of the gunpowder plot. However, it is also to do with remembering the 17 matyrs burnt at the stake in Lewes (which happened 50 years before 1605), and remembering the dead of the two world wars and all wars since, which is why the ceremonies which take place at the war memorial are such a cental part of the evening. It is also about freedom of expression and beliefs, and standing against tyranny in all forms. So, although he plays a part, it is not just about Guy Fawkes, and yes, there is a historical religious context to some of the celebration, but it is in no way 'all about religion. You might be confusing Bonfire in Lewes with what everyone else in the country calls bonfire night, but they are two very different things. You only have to buy one of the bonfire programmes and read what they have to say. You might learn something.