It's the 5th of November today which, for us English people, means Bonfire Night (aka Guy Fawkes Night). I don't know if anyone in America will know anything about it which is fair enough, but the thing is no one in the UK knows much about it either, and it pisses me off.
Every year at this time people light bonfires and set off very loud fireworks (I HATE fireworks) and don't even think about the historical significance. I personally refuse to mark the occasion at all, other than to salute the bravery of the people involved in the history of the date.
London 1606: Roman Catholic Guy Fawkes and his buddies become sick of the religious perecution they face from Protestants who rule England. They decide that they're going to destroy the houses of Parliament once and for all, blowing up the hundreds of polititions who have had their ancestors burned at the stake. The plot fails and the conspirers are exuecuted in a way that isn't taught in schools in England because of its horrific nature. If you don't have a strong stomach then stop reading.
Their punishment was: "...to be drawn to the place of execution from prison, drawn backwards from a hourse's tail with his head facing downwards, thought unfit to breath the common air. For eich cause also shall be strangled, hung by the neck, then to be cut down alive and have his privy parts cut off and burned before his face. His bowls and inner parts then taken out and burned. After, his head cut off and his body quartered."
Now isn't that just plain sick? That's what we apparantly celebrate every year. Fuck that! They stood up for their beliefs and died horribly as a result. I guess it's the first case of terrorism... but one man's terrorist is another man's hero.
Oh yeah and by the way, the heads of the 'conspirers' were displayed for all to see on Tower Bridge. Nice.
So I'm listening to the fireworks go off outside, listening to lots of drunk people having a good time. And all in the name of inhumanity. Most of the people round here are Catholic anyway! Oh well...
Every year at this time people light bonfires and set off very loud fireworks (I HATE fireworks) and don't even think about the historical significance. I personally refuse to mark the occasion at all, other than to salute the bravery of the people involved in the history of the date.
London 1606: Roman Catholic Guy Fawkes and his buddies become sick of the religious perecution they face from Protestants who rule England. They decide that they're going to destroy the houses of Parliament once and for all, blowing up the hundreds of polititions who have had their ancestors burned at the stake. The plot fails and the conspirers are exuecuted in a way that isn't taught in schools in England because of its horrific nature. If you don't have a strong stomach then stop reading.
Their punishment was: "...to be drawn to the place of execution from prison, drawn backwards from a hourse's tail with his head facing downwards, thought unfit to breath the common air. For eich cause also shall be strangled, hung by the neck, then to be cut down alive and have his privy parts cut off and burned before his face. His bowls and inner parts then taken out and burned. After, his head cut off and his body quartered."
Now isn't that just plain sick? That's what we apparantly celebrate every year. Fuck that! They stood up for their beliefs and died horribly as a result. I guess it's the first case of terrorism... but one man's terrorist is another man's hero.
Oh yeah and by the way, the heads of the 'conspirers' were displayed for all to see on Tower Bridge. Nice.
So I'm listening to the fireworks go off outside, listening to lots of drunk people having a good time. And all in the name of inhumanity. Most of the people round here are Catholic anyway! Oh well...
