Terrorists and Patriots

Remember, remember the fifth of November,

The gunpowder, treason and plot,

I see of no reason why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, 'twas his intent

To blow up the King and the Parliament.

Three score barrels of powder below,

Poor old England to overthrow:

By God's providence he was catch'd

With a dark lantern and burning match.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, make the bells ring.

Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

Hip hip hoorah!

Thus goes a song celebrating the foiling of the Gunpowder plot which had planned to blowup the Parliament building with King James I and most of Parliament in it. After detonating the British government, they also planned to install a new Catholic monarch in the place of the Protestant James I.

I guess how one views this event, and others like it, depends upon one's perspective. For Protestant England the conspirators were traitors to the crown, and were justly executed for their crimes. For those Catholics, oppressed by the Protestant crown, they were freedom fighters or patriots.

The world is not as black and white as we would like to to be. Our current "War on Terror" must surely seem like terrorism to those who suffer for our foreign policy. Very justly should we remember, remember the 5th of November for one man's terrorist is another man's patriot and who is to say which one is right.