Wales - Hope Not Hate Day

Searchlight Cymru - Combating Racism and Fascism in Wales

Sunday 17th May 2009

Mrs Crispy Sea (mysteriously absent from all the photos!) and I, attended the Flint Hope not hate event, one of three across Wales to commemorate those in our communities who fell in battle against fascism in the last century.

Kudos to all those who braved the weather, it was mostly torrential with a chill wind, as you can see and hear in the pics and vid. It was good to hear representatives of main parties, unified against the threat posed by the BNP.

The BNP? - Now there's a puzzle!
Their Literature brandishes the slogan 'British jobs for British workers'

Sounds lovely doesn't it - homely like! Kinda like - 'oh that's only fair!'
Yeah! Lovely! Until you really consider it!

We all think of ourselves as British, but we each have a different notion as to which archetypal, or historical, style we feel we belong. Some will wish to be of Viking stock, some Celt and some will feel kinship with Saxon.
On which historical Briton type, would one base one's choice of archetypal Briton? On which genetic base (Welsh, Scots, Irish, or Isle of man Celt, Pict, Viking, Saxon, Norman or Roman) would one make one's assessment of Britishness?
So - British jobs for British workers?
Where would you draw a line of Britishness?
I suggest that defining an architypal Briton could be considered
an impossible dilemma
But where would the BNP draw the purity line?
Because they would have to,
to ensure jobs go only to 'true blood' Britons.

'British National Party' - Dodgy sounding name that, intimidating even, but more than that it's too exclusive or rather, non-inclusive!
Britain is the epitome of a mutinational country, it has always been so. So a 'national' party is already 'thinking too small'! - The current nations of Britain, each have quite distinct traditions, customs and language -of which does the BNP suggest it is the National party?
Can I say - Plaid Cymru, SNP, Sinn Fein - One missing?
It's England that doesn't have it's own Party - Perhaps the BNP Stands not for Britishness but for Englishness?

Their flyer dropped through my letterbox recently.

It would be hard to say I was incensed, it takes a bit more than the offensive usage of a picture of a Spitfire, but I felt it was ironinc that the BNP should be using an image of one of the finest weapons against fascism on there own literature!
Turn it over more irony,

Dunkirk and D-day!! Held up as reasons to vote for a nationalist party - exactly the same sort of party that our most recent ancestors died trying to defeat -Many of them on those same beaches!!

And 'We've earned the right'!!!
Who is WE anyway?

LEST WE FORGET
Many races fought together to defeat Fascism.
From all corners of the British Empire, they came to fight and die against a nationalist party that got way out of hand.
So, The BNP, as ludicrous as their literature? Put simply -
You can see their screwed up view of history,
just imagine how they could screw up the present!

On June 4th
be sure to vote
but
DON'T VOTE BNP

Ok so, rant over, here's a few pictures from the Flint Hope not hate event and a video below.

The camcorder I was using malfunctioned (old age) and we were way into reading of the list of those who died in the fight against fascism, before I realised that the stills cam I was using also had a vid facility.

Anyway, as a cameraman/director/editor - I am a good writer. Lol.
It's a bit rough but this is what we have -