Sunday, June 04, 2017
We should not allow terrorists to undermine our democracy
Awaking to yet another terrorist outrage this morning, my shock and my anger quickly turned to defiance. These murderers are trying to intimidate us and like the citizens of Manchester two weeks ago and those in London today, I am not prepared to be browbeaten by a few immoral and unprincipled killers into abandoning my values and my way of life.
We live in a multi-cultural society, nowhere more so than London, and we are stronger for that diversity and for standing together behind common democratic beliefs. Those who seek to disrupt that unity through violence do not represent any part of that society, their actions stand apart from the community they claim to come from. They are neither part of that community nor representative of it.
It is right that we suspend national campaigning today as a mark of respect for the victims of this attack. However, I agree with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who says he “can understand why people don’t want to be canvassing and knocking on doors today” but that it was important the vote went ahead to show Britain would never be “cowed” by terror.
“One of the great things about our way of life is our democracy,” he said in a television interview on Sunday morning.
“Elections are a wonderful thing and that’s one of the things that these terrorists hate and one of the things that we can do to show we’re not going to be cowed is by voting on Thursday and making sure that we understand the importance of our democracy, our civil liberties, and our human rights.”
He continued: “I’m not an advocate of postponing the election. I’m a passionate believer in democracy and making sure that we vote and that we recognise that actually one of the things these terrorists hate is voting, they hate democracy, they hate elections, and the public choosing who should be our leaders rather than leaders being imposed on us. That’s why I’ll be voting on Thursday.”
We live in a multi-cultural society, nowhere more so than London, and we are stronger for that diversity and for standing together behind common democratic beliefs. Those who seek to disrupt that unity through violence do not represent any part of that society, their actions stand apart from the community they claim to come from. They are neither part of that community nor representative of it.
It is right that we suspend national campaigning today as a mark of respect for the victims of this attack. However, I agree with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who says he “can understand why people don’t want to be canvassing and knocking on doors today” but that it was important the vote went ahead to show Britain would never be “cowed” by terror.
“One of the great things about our way of life is our democracy,” he said in a television interview on Sunday morning.
“Elections are a wonderful thing and that’s one of the things that these terrorists hate and one of the things that we can do to show we’re not going to be cowed is by voting on Thursday and making sure that we understand the importance of our democracy, our civil liberties, and our human rights.”
He continued: “I’m not an advocate of postponing the election. I’m a passionate believer in democracy and making sure that we vote and that we recognise that actually one of the things these terrorists hate is voting, they hate democracy, they hate elections, and the public choosing who should be our leaders rather than leaders being imposed on us. That’s why I’ll be voting on Thursday.”
Comments:
<< Home
I believe it is time ALL terrorists should be classed as dangerous criminals .
Since the referendum this country seems to have changed. It has lost that tolerance we used to be proud of in the World view of us.
We seem to be becoming an armed camp.
May this morning throwing out rhetoric (is there an election she wants to win?)will only inflame the situation.
We must not start going around 'spying' on people etc and becoming a police state.
We need to be calm and go around our daily lives as usual and not let dangerous criminals win.
Post a Comment
Since the referendum this country seems to have changed. It has lost that tolerance we used to be proud of in the World view of us.
We seem to be becoming an armed camp.
May this morning throwing out rhetoric (is there an election she wants to win?)will only inflame the situation.
We must not start going around 'spying' on people etc and becoming a police state.
We need to be calm and go around our daily lives as usual and not let dangerous criminals win.
<< Home
