Report from Speakers' Corner
Today, I went to Speakers' Corner for the first time in my life. For those of you that don't know, Speakers' Corner is next to Marble Arch, on the corner of Hyde Park and stands as one of the greatest symbols of freedom of speech in this world today. Every Sunday, there are speakers there. Anyone can go along, stand on a soapbox (or a stepladder, as is more the case these days, only the Socialist Party had soapboxes) and talk about anything. Speakers' Corner has attracted everyone from intellectuals (Marx came once) to nuts. The nuts are more prevalent today.
As I say, this was the first time in my life that I have set foot in Speakers' Corner. It was an... interesting experiance. I wandered around listening to various people. There was someone railing against religion, saying it was all rubbish and that there was no evidence for it. In fact, there is no evidence for King David or the Kingdom of Israel (if you believe him, and I haven't seen aynthign to suggest that he is wrong). He also claled on God to striek him down if he was wrong. Needless to say, no striking occured. Then there was another man, well, two, who were what I would deem Christian extremists (one of them called me corrupt, damn him). I always find two things about these people interesting, and these men were showing both of them:
1. They have this belief that man is inherently corrupt. I disagree, I think that most people are decent and honest.
2. They gloss over the Old Testament. They talk a lot about Jesus and a loving God, but refuse to recognise that the Old Testament God is vengeful and smites people.
Anyway, then there was another man. He was different. He wasn't saying much, and he certainly wasn't shouting, which is unusual. I had a very interesting conversation with him about language, religion and the meaning of "good Government". And, indeed, whether George Bush really is responsible for anything.
Moving on, there were two people from the Socialist Party of Great Britain, a few Muslims and Diane. I feel I should mention Diane especially because I spent a few hours listening to her spout whatever rubbish she believed. Diane believes that the English are the greatest people in the world and that everyone still works for us (which may have been true a few centuries ago, but certainly not anymore). She also believed that all foreigners had "abandoned their roots" and were evil in some way. And then she refused to believe that anyone except herself was pure English, no matter how much I claimed, she kept saying somethign about "just becuase your family moved here doesn't make them English". Ok, I am not "pure blooded English", I am, in fact, partly Irish, but only a very long time ago. Anyway, I hope you can all see the rubbish that she was speaking here and, interestingly enough, she believed that she was the onyl pure blooded English person.
When pressed, she said that the English had come from Scandanavia thus abandoning their roots etc. etc.). She also kept talking about God, and yet professed to have no religion. In short, she hadn't the faintest idea what she was talking about, and she was way mnore harline than even the BNP.
This would have been scary, but for the fact that the whole crowd was heckling her and laughing greatly. There were about five main antagonists (myself included) and we generally had a good time.
Anyway, I shall certainly be returnign to Speakers' Corner, and if anyone wishes to join me, it's on the corner of Hyde Park, at Marble Arch, Sunday mornign (until about 5 in the evening).
posted by CJM | 9:44 PM
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