A Tale of Church, State, Conspiracy, Betrayal and Fireworks
On Nov. 5, 1991, we were in transit, with a 5 and 2 year old, to our overseas posting in Nigeria. We flew from SFO to London, where we took a couple of days to decompress with friends who lived there. Imagine everyone’s delight when there were fireworks that night. This was the first we learned of Guy Fawkes Day, commemorating the failure of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
The plan was to blow up the Houses of Parliament, during the state opening, kill the king and members of Parliament so the Catholics could take over. Gunpowder Plot conspirators were zealous Roman Catholics enraged at King James 1 for refusing to grant greater religious tolerance to Catholics. After the conspirators were betrayed, Guy Fawkes was taken into custody the night before the attack, in the cellar storing the explosives. The fate of the conspirators was death, either killed while trying to escape capture or executed post trial. Celebration of Guy Fawkes began a year later, in 1606. Children learn this rhyme:
Remember, remember, the fifth of November
Gunpowder treason and plot
We see no reason
Why Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot….
Let the fireworks begin! Oh, and the bonfires. Don’t forget the bonfires, into which people throw effigies of Guy Fawkes. These days, they also throw in effigies of more current political characters. It’s just a wee bit ironic, this very critical election day of ours falling on Guy Fawkes Day. I can think of some conspirators who are lucky to live in the USA. And one in particular who still needs to face justice and sentencing, delayed due to his candidacy for president. I can’t believe I just typed that. So I’ll get started on my effigy, once I find some orange fabric. Maybe I can use it on Jan. 6th. Prepare the Firepit!!!
There’s a YouTube video of someone who made a full sized model of the place on a British Army bomb range, packed it with the historical amount of black power, and set it off.
Destruction ensued.
1I’m already getting election night whiplash. A story on Raw Story about CNN commentator/pundit Chris Wallace already basically saying it will be a miracle if Kamala wins because of his take on first exit polls showing people dissatisfied with the state of the country. This is going to be a hard night.
2Speaking of fireworks and firearms.
3I stopped following the election in the evening.
However, I started looking around online a few minutes ago. At the same time I began hearing all kinds of noise outside around the area, gunfire and fireworks.
So I changed the TV channel to a couple of news channels, and it wasn’t looking good for the Dem team.
But some were saying that Fox had called it for the traitorous SOB.
Hence my rabid area denizens going apeshit.
Y’all probably live in places that are not 85-95 per cent Rethuglikkkans.
If that holds, we have definitely become a shithole country.
I no longer believe in “the goodness of the American people.”
4ALL the polls were wrong. If you have not read Michael Wheeler’s 1976 book “Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics: The Manipulation of Public Opinion in America,” do that now.
I got a good laugh from NPR this morning: In a moment, we will examine where Harri went wrong with a Democratic pollster.
5I don’t think it was Harris who went wrong. It was willful ignorance, hate, and fear on the part of more than more than 50% of the American people. I will be fielding calls all day, like the one I just had, from despondent people, afraid for friends and family who are are “different”.
6What could go wrong. RFK jr will be in charge of healthcare. Musk will be in charge of your money. Hershel Walker will be in charge of nuclear defense. Vance will be watching what you do and drumpf will be in charge of the insane asylum. 2016 squared.
7Hussy@ 6
Oh, she did plentynwrong.She let the
8Hussy @ 6
Oh, she did plenty wrong. She let the militants lead her by the nose.
Every story about a transsexual athlete, every drag queen reading to toddlers cost her tens of thousands of votes.
9Kamala led an inclusive campaign. Unfortunately, the American public was all too eager to buy into the hateful rhetoric and
10disinformation spewed from the huge maw of a Hitler wannabe.
Harry Eagar @9, Well, we agree on those points, except it was hundreds of thousands, or millions of votes lost over such topics that most of the populace still is uncomfortable about.
Most here don’t want to hear about things like this.
An occasional mention of support, OK, but constantly emphasizing such topics did serious damage.
Many otherwise reasonable people who would have voted for Harris and the Democrats just can’t overcome certain prejudices, and responded favorably to the hate messages that the Rethuglikkkans concentrated on relentlessly.
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