Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Three Minutes' Silence

Sad, although strangely predictable, that the Daily Mail and Daily Star should oppose the silence to be held in memory of Tsunami victims.

These two papers - which take a right wing, anti-European Union line - feel it's just an empty gesture to remember those who perished on December 26.

The predictability of it stems from the fact that the silence was proposed by the Dutch prime minister, in the Netherland's capacity as President of the European Union, so, obviously, it must be another example of the UK being "dictated" to by Europe. Even worse, at three minutes, the silence is one minute longer than that accorded to the nation's war dead each November.

It is to be hoped that the UK, along with the rest of mainland Europe, ignores this petty knee-jerk posturing. The Tsunami wiped out communities and shattered lives irrespective of national borders; you can't compartmentalise compassion when faced with tragedy and loss on such a scale - even if the call to remember the victims comes from the EU.

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