There comes a time when we Scots should remember our heritage, when it should be highlighted that the present struggle for social justice against the elite that continue to foment the policies that ensure they continue to prosper as the poorer struggle, while all the time the poorer in society are the recipients of the blame for the countries ills. It is nothing new, how many here have heard of John MacLean? Mother from Corpach, Father from Mull, a teacher who stood for the people and against the murder of the Great War, for which, for his protests, he was jailed in Peterhead for 5 years. When his release was petitioned, the conditions he suffered in prison led to his death only 7 months later at 44. I am obliged to WiKi for some details I was vague on and some excerpts from his trial speech, all of which sentiments are valid today! It has been said that they cannot fathom my motive. For the full period of my active life I have been a teacher of economics to the working classes, and my contention has always been that capitalism is rotten to its foundations, and must give place to a new society. I had a lecture, the principal heading of which was Thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not kill, and I pointed out that as a consequence of the robbery that goes on in all civilised countries today, our respective countries have had to keep armies, and that inevitably our armies must clash together. On that and on other grounds, I consider capitalism the most infamous, bloody and evil system that mankind has ever witnessed. My language is regarded as extravagant language, but the events of the past four years have proved my contention. He went on to say: I wish no harm to any human being, but I, as one man, am going to exercise my freedom of speech. No human being on the face of the earth, no government is going to take from me my right to speak, my right to protest against wrong, my right to do everything that is for the benefit of mankind. I am not here, then, as the accused; I am here as the accuser of capitalism dripping with blood from head to foot. His speech concluded: I have taken up unconstitutional action at this time because of the abnormal circumstances and because precedent has been given by the British government. I am a socialist, and have been fighting and will fight for an absolute reconstruction of society for the benefit of all. I am proud of my conduct. I have squared my conduct with my intellect, and if everyone had done so this war would not have taken place. I act square and clean for my principles. .... No matter what your accusations against me may be, no matter what reservations you keep at the back of your head, my appeal is to the working class. I appeal exclusively to them because they and they only can bring about the time when the whole world will be in one brotherhood, on a sound economic foundation. That, and that alone, can be the means of bringing about a re-organisation of society. That can only be obtained when the people of the world get the world, and retain the world. John MacLean Not all our heros are as obvious or as lauded as Wallace or Bruce, but their stature in the world should be no less for that. It will take people with will and conscience to change the world as we know it. This struggle must start somewhere....If the SNP will lead, let us take the struggle back to the field of Westminster.youtu.be/61etFdGpXq8
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 12:11:20 +0000
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