by Geoffrey Churchman
When I went to school we were taught who Guy Fawkes was, but I doubt that happens now and it’s unlikely anyone under 50 could answer that question. It was an event back on 5 November 1605, when after being found guarding explosives Mr Fawkes confessed under torture to being in a plot to blow up the houses of Parliament and was sentenced to death, carried out on 31 January 1606.
Today in Godzone it seems more like just an excuse to let off fireworks. Guy Fawkes night is hated by firefighters and animals get scared. Some animals also get injured and there are some nasty pictures on the web.
It makes more sense to celebrate New Years, both the European one that everyone uses and the Maori one (Matariki) — and as much as I hate ‘nanny state ideology’ I’d support all fireworks displays being public ones only.
I wouldn’t wish to blow up our parliament building but I would like to put (theoretical) fireworks under the Min. of Education (oops Min. of Indoctrination ) because as far as I am concerned they are destroying our precious children. Just about everything they do is destructive and anti educational.