Following on from last week’s article, mass rallies and demonstrations are now becoming everyday events, often ignoring social distancing.
But what are these rallies and demonstrations about? They started in memory of George Floyd but have quickly changed direction to encompass anything even remotely connected to a dubious past. They have left the ideal of Black Lives Matter and become a vehicle for discontent among extremists.
No-one in their right mind would condone the disgusting image of a (white) man urinating on the memorial to a policeman outside parliament; likewise the defacing of the Cenotaph in Whitehall and of certain statues. We forget our history at our peril. History informs what and who we are today and rather than deface, pull down or cover up, proper information boards need to explain why such things, which were sadly accepted then, are not acceptable today. For many years, German schoolchildren were not taught about the Holocaust or the details of the horrors of WW2, so had no understanding of why a lot of the world seemed to dislike the Germans of that period. History mustn’t be hidden away – it must be there for us to examine and make up our own minds about.
Those of us who care deeply about our fellow human beings will be very concerned that extremists from both sides of the argument will negate the real reason for the marches.
Rev Alan. Club Chaplain