Sticks and stones…

No doubt many of you have by now heard of the 80 year old Yes campaigner, James McMillan, who was shoved to the ground, breaking his wrist in the process. If you haven’t, here’s the Edinburgh Evening News article on it: http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/scottish-independence-campaigner-80-attacked-1-3077094

I’m sorry if this entry rubs anyone up the wrong way – and I know it will some – but I feel it’s too important. I’ve hummed and hawed about writing this entry, and I’ll tell you for why.

Whilst I absolutely do not condone the actions of the woman involved in the alleged assaulting of Mr McMillan, I can see why someone might have been greatly offended by his placard. To stand with a large sign reading ‘Time to get rid of the scourge of the Normans. Sign up to the Yes side’ would anger even me, and I’m wanting the same outcome from the referendum! It didn’t warrant physical assault, but it was offensive.

I’m in this referendum battle for equality, democracy and the chance to build a new, progressive Scotland – not for historical grudges. Frankly, I personally don’t care about what happened hundreds of years ago – we live now, not back then. History is useful for learning from, not as the basis for centuries-old division. Had McMillan’s sign read ‘Time to get rid of the scourge of the English…’, would that be acceptable? Or how about ‘Time to get rid of the scourge of the Asians’? I’d certainly hope not.

We independence supporters are often accused of having a huge chip on our shoulders, and McMillan has, I’m sorry to say, done nothing but bolster that image. We’re simply not going to win if this is the level of play. Sorry of you disagree, but that’s a fact.

Let’s keep both violence AND petty nonsense out of this campaign. ‘Better Together’ and their supporters are good enough at this sort of trashy campaigning on their own. Please, let’s not join them.

People in paper-thin crystalline houses…

Today’s Scotsman sees yet more column inches given to the opinions of the almost totally irrelevant Ruth Davidson, ‘Better Together’er and Scottish Tory leader. Now she’s been wittering on about our ‘interconnected world’ and the ‘global village’.

What the BT chums are attempting to do is portray independence supporters as backward navel-gazers, seeking to throw up walls around Scotland and ignore the rest of the world. No Ruth, your party does that plenty enough with the UK already, ta! Except when there’s a lucrative arms deal or some other money-spinning reason…

It’s a cynical and oft-repeated ploy by the BT lot: keep stating something often enough and people will start regarding it as fact. We’ve seen it loads of times already: the scourge of the ‘evil CyberNats’, “there’s no oil left!”, etc, etc.

What this continuing misinformation neglects to mention of course is that a large part of what we actually want is the ability to speak AS Scotland, both to and with the rest of the world – not merely being lucky to be a Tory or Labour UK PM footnote. By definition we WANT to be internationalists, not the closed-minded xenophobes of Ms Davidson’s party and ‘Better Sing GSTQ Together’.

There is mention of the ‘global village’ in the printed piece too. I’ve asked it before, but let me ask again: Where are the UK parties proposals for REMOVING borders? If they’re going to keep suggesting that the world is now one of fewer borders (not actually the case at all) and that this is a great thing, show us your plans! Let’s see your correspondence with foreign leaders, outlining the combining of the UK with their assorted countries. Come on!

To take what you say as valid and pursue it to it’s logical conclusion is perhaps silly? Here’s a thought: don’t say something if you don’t mean it!

The world is a smaller place now than ever before, yes. Countries co-operate more now than at any point in history, yes – on international and shared issues. That doesn’t mean that the people of those countries can’t or shouldn’t demand the best system of government they can get. It doesn’t mean that people can’t or shouldn’t be allowed to have differing opinions – even from their nearest neighbours. And above all, it doesn’t mean that those who seek to have better and more representative political representation can or should be subtly, or otherwise, branded as small-minded bigots.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the world being made up of many different countries. Personally, I’d rather see more – the larger countries dividing up, creating improved democracy and a higher representation ratio for their citizens.

Countries can and do work together, but they don’t need to amalgamate into huge sub-continental behemoths in order to do so – I’d argue that that’s actually much worse. Ask the people of China if they honestly feel personally well represented at a national level, for example.

But BT will continue to just smear away, chucking mud and desperate to create the illusion that we ‘separatists’ want to create a North British North Korea or similar. Some will buy it, because some are of the very narrow-mindedness they accuse us of.

People in paper-thin crystalline houses shouldn’t throw massive boulders. Davidson would do well to keep her hands firmly planted in her pockets.