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I was listening to some old Bob Dylan today and listening to “The times they are a changin” led me to think about the 60’s. We really did sense that change was about to happen and that all the protesting and demonstrating was going to have a strong affect. Not you understand, that I was anything other than a boy in the 60’s, but a boy who did care and did take notice of what was happening. And things did change…..Just not enough. The powers that be [I assume be powerful and be always in control] were content to sit back and let us have just enough of the rope to make us think that if we strained enough we could possibly reach the goal. They held their collective breath when they thought that the rope would snap with a few heavyweights such as archbishops and MP’s straining with the great unwashed and walking the road to Aldermarston singing “we shall overcome” But truth be told, the sum did not equal the effort and since we shouted “no more war!” we had 30 years of Ulster, the Falklands, Bosnia et al, two Gulf wars and Afghanistan, not to mention many viscious wars in Africa, and the middle east which we were not part of at all..honest guv!
The reason for this retrospective is that I have the same sense about now. I feel that the many groups, organisations and individuals campaigning to change are getting thrown little nuggets, but the powers that be are using super strength rope to stop us reaching far enough. We also have as many pro as anti groups to contend with. Pro smoking groups funded by…erm [does anyone from BAT read this?] Pro hunting, pro guns, pro drugs. Sadly the anti groups who hold the moral high ground, keep shooting themselves in the foot by crossing the line that we know should not be crossed. Anti vivisectionists destroying homes and cars of workers. Anti fur trade protestors releasing the farmed mink in Ringwood which almost caused an environmental disaster. I want to see these things stopped, but I want it done in a way that any victory is a grand victory.
I asked myself the question “If you knew that any action you take would lead to nothing, what would you do” The answer is that I would still do it. I need my children and grandchildren to see that doing nothing is not an option. We might fail this time round to get any serious change in our protestations, we might be lucky and win a series of small battles, but we need to keep trying to inspire the following generations to fight for change.
(I tried to not be specific about the causes I believe in so that this post can be read as a general rant)