The meaning of Woke - alert to injustice in society, especially racism.
Exploring words and actions. Well Solsbury Hill bought up the memory of the widening of the A46 road controversy in the 1990s and the bypass to Batheaston. So I went back to an old link Adrian Arbib had created and all the videos of road protest he had documented. As I wandered through the rather naïve and innocent ecowarriors, thin and underfed, fervent in their protest against road building and protection of the trees. I saw strangely enough how modern 'woke' had been created, in fact protest which has happened all through the centuries is nothing new.
- There are the small-minded suburbanites who declaim loudly against the scruffiness, and presence of such people and wish to outlaw them, yet in many protests there are what we may call the 'ordinary' people involved, you and me.
- Conservatism as a political frame of mind may ring out loudly for the forces of the law and repression of all counter arguments but beneath the surface there is a need for fairness and democracy in the hearts of most people.
- Whether the argument is for or against, or indeed a personal viewpoint of having one's house knocked down, there will always be an outcry.
- Anyway it is quite interesting to thumb through these videos, some are already beginning to deteriorate, too see old newscasters as well and to see Bath galvanised by a cause. The road building firm used security thugs, police were rarely brought in.
It is all on Vimeo.....
- https://vimeo.com/channels/268535/33297026 - Eco Warriors.
https://vimeo.com/channels/268535/33334386 - No Excuses - documentary
on Solsbury Hill
I recall all that - lived in Chippenham at the time. Not sure if it is better or worse with the new road - it is of course crowded already.
ReplyDeleteWell I still went through Batheaston on the old road, as for the A46 it got you to the M4 quicker but it still left the old vulnerable A36 road prey to heavy lorries, so nothing much was achieved.
ReplyDeleteIdiots will often knock protesters, saying glibly, "Protests and strikes never achieve anything!" But they are wrong and they clearly do not know their history because most of the advancements in social justice and working conditions were only achieved through protest and struggle. When Johnson talks of "levelling up" he is in fact simply playing a distracting mind game. In reality, he does not mean it.
ReplyDeleteStrikes and protests definitely change the thinking over time and should not be outlawed for the convenience of politicians. Especially Johnson, his words never to be trusted.
Delete