Glorification all around

IS the government doing enough to stamp out propaganda glorifying terrorism? Conscientious cititizens may be asked to help MI5 and Special Branch monitor sermons and speeches, images and pamphlets, even Old Chalkie's history lessons. But what about sermons in stone, or bronze? The production of graven images may be un-Islamic, but surely that is no reason to exclude them?

The pictures above form part of a dossier which I will consider submitting to the Home Office. They show that this glorification is all around us, wherever you look.

First, whatever your definition of "terrorism", Robin Hood, though he may not have bombed anyone did use violence for political ends, reputedly unauthorised redistribution of wealth from rich to poor, in other words totally against what New Labour stands for. According to the oldest ballads he and his band, probably high on some substance ("Merry Men") not only assaulted the forces of law and order, viz the Sheriff of Nottingham and his soldiers, and showed no respect for property. but mercilessly killed and robbed respectable rich citizens including senior members of the clergy.
I will leave it to the News of the World to expose his living over the brushwood with Maid(?) Marian, and the film censors will have to deal with the many films exploiting the attraction for our youngsters of this violent robber and class-warrior.


NEXT on my list, frighteningly near our Mother of all Parliaments is the statue of an Essex Girl racer whose dangerous driving with sword-bearing custom hubcaps was notorious.
According to archeologist Philip Crummy, surveying the charred remains which were all that was left of Roman Colchester after the Iceni came to town, this woman and her tribe had no mercy. "The civilian population was wiped out. There were no prisoners. Men, women and children were all killed,' he said.
No remains of any casualties have been found. Experts believe the Romans took their dead home and that many others were buried in mass graves. Estimates of the number of Romans and 'collaborators' killed by Boudicca and her followers vary, although Roman historians claimed that up to 70,000 people died ".
Yet the perpetrator of this slaughter of settlers and moderate Britons is honoured by a statue in Westminster, even showing her dangerous driving, and the Sun newspaper was so misguided as to call her "inspiring".

THE number of these glorifications may actually have been increasing, with scant attention from government, or even unwitting acquiescence, with public and lottery funding, boosted by the "Heritage" Industry. Educational? What sort of lessons are youngsters to make of monuments like this glamourous depiction of Rob Roy, an outlaw and cattle thief, waving his sword at visitors to Stirling castle!? .
We hear that people from Asian Muslim backgrounds must make a greater effort to integrate into our national culture, and people aspiring for citizenship must show a knowledge and acceptance of our way of life. But are we sure they are not being exposed to the wrong influences, and could not people coming here draw undesirable ideas of what British history is about?
Around the country there are other examples. They don't have to be destroyed, as some suggest. (And please do not take the law, or hammers etc, into your own hands) They could be rounded up and resited behind secure fences, where they will not influence our susceptible young, and could only be visited by approved scholars vetted by the Home Office. My survey has only just begun. You can help with your nominations.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND REFERENCES:

Robin Hood statue at http://p.vtourist.com/1546186-Robin_Hood_Statue-Nottingham.jpg
Boadiccea at:http://www.visitbritain.com/VB3-en-US/Images/10606_big_ben_tcm142-36171.jpg
Information on sacking of Colchester:http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,406152,00.html
Picture of Rob Roy - from the collection of Charles Pottins, esq., with thanks to National Express, Scottish YHA, and Supasnaps.

STOP PRESS:Police from the anti-terror squad are now seeking one Walter Scott.