6
2005
"The whole earth is the tomb of heroic men, and their story is not graven on stone over their clay, but abides everywhere without visible symbol, woven into the stuff of other men's lives."
The quote is Thucydides', "graven on stone" above the memorial to the 21st Royal Scots Fusiliers at the Scottish National War Memorial within the ancient walls of Edinburgh Castle. Even as we see this week in Scotland the forces of anarchy, rejection and nihilism, we are also called to remember those who sacrificed their all to preserve the societies which, among their myriad freedoms, allow these luxuries of foolish rebellion.
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| William Wallace, detail from St Margaret's Chapel. |
What sounded like a military tattoo was in fact a re-gathering of the crazies from two days past. But this was not their day: some were off to Gleneagles, causing a ruckus at their heart of darkness; and some were simply reluctant to get wet. Revolution is one thing, friend, but it's raining.
The question now is whether the concertgoers will feel the same. Feeding the hungry, pal, that's great, but it's soggy out. The organizers are fretful, but I cannot work up much concern over it. As I sit here in the allotted media center, I look out the window to the great castle towering above. In spite of rain and wind, in spite of earth and hell, the Union Jack is flying, and it lets me know that the real work is already done.