This morning (Saturday 24th March 2007), I spent some time wandering around the area of the Meadows, one of Edinburgh's public parks, witnessing the preparations for a large parade organised by the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland (GOLS) (link to their website). For those unfamiliar with Scottish tradition and culture, the GOLS is an organisation which claims to represent those who choose to view our nation's history from a particularly narrow, religious viewpoint, and who consider the inter-denominational conflicts and eventual triumph of Protestantism over Catholicism in the late seventeenth century to be a proud moment. There are many sites where one can find information on Protestant organisations such as the GOLS - for some of the more impartial descriptions, see entries on Wikipedia HERE and HERE.
The GOLS draws its membership largely from traditional working-class communities across Scotland, the "salt of the earth" which some would have us believe are the true roots of socialism and all things egalitarian - what was on display today from sections of the crowd, and also on previous such parades, was more akin to the worst excesses of narrow-minded bigotry and hatred. At least once a year, the streets of central Edinburgh echo to the tribal drums and triumphalism of Orange Order marches - visitors to my city must be more than a little puzzled by these displays, and I and many of my fellow citizens are deeply ashamed. Whilst I wholeheartedly support the right to religious, sexual, political and all other freedoms, I feel that this annual spectacle should be consigned to the dustbin of history. Alternatively, those who wish to carry on in this manner should be allowed to do so in their own backyards, in the towns and villages of central Scotland, and cease to impose their narrow-minded and blatantly confrontational views on the lives of those who have moved on. See images of this event in my Picasa Web Album.
The GOLS draws its membership largely from traditional working-class communities across Scotland, the "salt of the earth" which some would have us believe are the true roots of socialism and all things egalitarian - what was on display today from sections of the crowd, and also on previous such parades, was more akin to the worst excesses of narrow-minded bigotry and hatred. At least once a year, the streets of central Edinburgh echo to the tribal drums and triumphalism of Orange Order marches - visitors to my city must be more than a little puzzled by these displays, and I and many of my fellow citizens are deeply ashamed. Whilst I wholeheartedly support the right to religious, sexual, political and all other freedoms, I feel that this annual spectacle should be consigned to the dustbin of history. Alternatively, those who wish to carry on in this manner should be allowed to do so in their own backyards, in the towns and villages of central Scotland, and cease to impose their narrow-minded and blatantly confrontational views on the lives of those who have moved on. See images of this event in my Picasa Web Album.
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