h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It was the end of a long week, well actually a standard five day long week, but you know what I mean. I was on the way home and having cycled to the top of the hill I stopped at the Queens head to see who was about and have a swift shandy.

There were a few familiar faces and I guy I hadnt seen in a while. Brett was a guy Id got talking to a few years ago. He drinks often in a pub round the corner from the rugby club.

"You're one of those nutters from that football team who come into the Firkin singing arent you?2

"No were rugby players"

"Oh Ive always fancied a go at that"

I invited him down to training but he declined he explained his shyness and that currently he was undergoing psychiatric help because of his depression due to his feelings about his weight. I told him one of the best alieviators of mild depression was exercise, endorphines, sense of purpose, meeting new friends, blah blah blah. We introduced ourselves and I got off at my stop and he carried on home.

Over the next few weeks I saw him a few times and we talked about this and that. Being a evangelical sports freak I continued trying to tempt him down. At one point he asked if there was any danger that people might tease him about his weight. I sort of lied. I said there was no chance.

"There are bigger guys than you down there and they get treated no different from anyone else."

Now its true in a sense. In the first few weeks people would not say anything to him apart from,

"Hi whats your name?" general get to know you stuff "Where are from have you played before?"

Then they would take the piss out of everything once he was one of the lads, we are fairly evil to each other, but Id feel more pushed out if people stopped abusing me. The banter after the sport itself is one of the main things I miss when were not playing or training.

Buoyed up by my good advice and little white lie Brett came to training one week. Unfortunately this was before we had really got ourselves in order. none of us had any coaching qualifications and traing was something of a free for all with nothing strutured to bring in total novices. To a newbie our training sessions were a real baptism of fire and Brett like so many others was a bit daunted and never showed up again.

I changed jobs and couldnt train in the evenings so didnt see him as he was going home after that. I saw him in the pub now and again but it was always too loud and a few too late for a constructive chat, but we said hi or raised a glass together.

In the mean time Id taken coaching courses changed jobs again moved house twice. Hed moved from a low payed job to a better one. These and other things we spoke about when I met him on the way home last night. I invited him down to our presidents day celebrations. Three juniors games a first team match and a veterans run-out/pitched battle. He said he couldnt come Sunday as he was taking part in the St Georges day March.

"Yeah they're a lot of fun, we took the kids down to do a display last year it was a good day, but unfortunately the dates clashed this year"

"Oh Id stay away this year if I were you there's going to be a BNP march going up to the park aswell"

"Well it was OK before we diddnt see any trouble and besides everyone seemed to get along, even the *moodies* who spent all day drinking the Crown and the Globe dry"(pubs next to the park)

"Look I know Im going on the march"



"Im the BNP candidate for this ward at the next council elections"

"Why?"


He started off by telling me "Im not racist you know that" I kept my gob shut and listened. He proceeded to tell me about his feelings and the way Falklands and Gulf vets were being passed over for housing for the sake of Iraqis and Afghanis. We argued back and forth about if this were tru or not and if he knew one person this had happened to, but he'd read the literature and that was that.

"Why do you have to stop immmigration?"

I told him about the French influence in Nottingham and how they had contributed to the lace industry and the general walth and culture of the city.

"Ask my brother (he'd introduced us earlier) how much I hate the French"

I asked Brett how would he feel if he were taken from his country transported in the hold of a dark ship cold at night baking ht in the day. What would it feel like if the people who you hoped had brought you food and water raped you. They then sold you and your baby was killed in front of you. What if the rest of your miserable life was spent working for not one penny of pay but being beaten and whipped if you werent working hard enough. The other children that you had cried for food and you cried because you knew their lives would be a smiserable as your had become. Worrying that if they did anything about this mistreatment they could be hung or beat to death.

This happened and all the money from peoples labour came to Britain to help build the things you see around you. Churches, libraries, universities, railways, canals and palaces. Paid for in part by the sweat and blood of my ancestors beaten out of them by your ancestors how can you tell anyone they have no right to come here and benefit from these things.

"I dont know what to say"

He gathered his thoughts and I looked up to find his cousin his brother a few of the regulars and the bar staff listening to every word.

"but somethings got to be done. What about the dirty, Paki, Muslim, vermin who stabbed me in the back on the High Street?" He blustered. I want to kill him, smash his face in and...."

"To be honest if I knew who it was and he walked in here Id probably help you, but if your brother" I gestured playing to the crowd now " hit me would it be alright for me to hit you?" I put my hand on his shoulder, should you ever do me wrong for something that has nothing to do with me?"

I moved down to his eye level and put my other han on his shoulder and he shook his head.

"Brett, the BNP have some good ideas but they also have a lot of bad ones and they are lieing to you to make you hate people who you dont even know. I have to go know but you take care. One love"

I was lieing I think they're completely full of shit, but I dont htink he was ready to hear that.

I got out while I was ahead, but I know this is not over.

one love

... I just chanced upon your journal entry, as is the way of Hootoo (at least so it seems, only been here just over 2 weeks)

Massive respect to you for giving forth to this acquaintance - I hope it leaves an impression. Truly.

I am always amazed that people letting them self to be a target by the leaders of organisations like BNP. the people should know that the leaders are often a well educated person who especially targets the lesser educated. they can not get a job, which often filled by some one who is more educated.

the leaders are truly wolves in sheep clothes, because if one sheep is over the dam more will follow.

I know there less educated leaders, but they are so called showcase to get new henchmen to see they have chance to get higher up the ladder.


* I wrote organisations in UK spelling, because US spelling is some what tained in my believe:
orga-niza-tions > niza > nazi.

Having now had the pleasure of meeting you in person, blicky, I found I could totally picture you talking to this guy. I could hear the level and clear tone in your voice, see the direct look in your eyes.

Very well done, little bro!

Though I would say that you were being very tactful, not telling lies per se. As you said, he probably wasn't ready to hear the 'whole truth' of what you felt - and it would have been counterproductive to try and force the issue at the time.

Looking forward to future installments . . .

az

Skills mate, it is always important to make a stand against the BNP. If you can do it calmly and rationally and succesfully get you point across that is effing brilliant.

Thanks for sharing this with us.

This is the way to change people's thinking: Calmly and with the facts.

I like it.

Alex

Yes, you did right, i can just never manage this, i blow a fuse and end up provoking conflict even more.

Well done.

zdt

I can top that. Sort of. I used to live in a friendly, multi-racial community. One year, I held a birthhday party for my children. Amongst the people I invited was a new colleague and his family. A fun dayb was had. At one point someone counted that there were at least nine different languages being spoken.

About a year later, someone drew my attention to this story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2356837.stm Yup! Same guy! Same area!

Hi All

I have just spent an evening reading through the BNP's manifesto (applying the 'know thine enemy' principle) on the BBC's website.

The parallels between this and the early manifestos of the National Socialist Party of Germany in the late 1920's and early 1930's are stark. The reasonable and well-written prose plays carefully upon ordinary people's fears whilst shanghai-ing fringe science to support its claims on ethnic difference (with the greatest 'respect' obviously).

The calls to restore the culture and society of the folk (volk?) of the family of British Nations (including Eire) are peppered throughout the document as a theme.

They call for an 'armed citizenry', by giving anyone who does their National Service (and logically any ex-serviceman) a 'Citizen's Assault Rifle' and ammunition to keep in their home as a precaution against tyranny. Note that there are no ethnic minorities in this definition of citizen.

Conscientious Objectors would be 'respected' and expected to do community work instead of National Service. However, they would not get a Rifle and would give up their right to vote.

The country would be encouraged (forced?) to return to 'Traditional Westernized Christianity' as a social and moral core.

It goes on and on for 54 pages. Other highlights include a complete isolationist stance in foreign policy - withdrawal from the EU and NATO, and the severing of ties with the USA.

A series of statements make it clear that all 'non-British' ethnic minorities would be 'encouraged' to return to their 'homelands' either by bribes or by force. Immigration would only be allowed from the white members of the Commonwealth, the USA and Northern Europe, and only if they add to our economic prosperity.

The frightening thing about all this is the very reasonable way it is couched and how each measure is given a sweetener that will attract middle and low income white Britons.

I feel the chill hand of history playing upon my spirit because these guys could start to get elected. The BNP is coming of age.

Blessings,
Matholwch /|\

First against the wall when Nick Griffin becomes Der Fuhrer.

'First against the wall when Nick Griffin becomes Der Fuhrer.'

I think you flatter yourself. They have some more visible enemies to get through first, do they not?

One thing that has always struck me as ironic - of the BNP supporters who I've had the deep misfortune to come across, none of them have exactly been fine specimens af Aryan manhood.

Yes - it is troublesome that these scum are starting to gain some spurious respectability - interviews on R4, election by the good middle-class folk of Burnley, etc. I feel that it's time to fall back on the only argument that has, historically, been shown to be effective against them: the well-thrown half brick.

Hi Eddie

I'm afraid the 'well-thrown half-brick' just helps them. In the 1920's it was their running street battles with the Communists that attracted a huge corps of disaffected young war veterans into the SA.

In the late 1970's and early 1980's, when I was active in the Anti-Nazi league, similar street riots doubled the British Movement's membership.

Fascists thrive on violence and use it skillfully to isolate elements of society as well as push their own case. The main thread in their push for power then and now is that society is in chaos and needs a firm hand to return it to some mythical golden age.

As for me being first against the wall, well I assume that a BNP government would get access to everyone's security files. It wouldn't take a long search to separate out people who are or were ANL members, or who are pacifist pagans.

Fascist regimes that choose an isolationist stance, such as that proposed by the BNP tend to last for decades, such as Spain under Franco. Unlike the Germans who went for lebensraum. Thus we must take these people seriously, failure to do so could see them gain a foothold in British politics that would be incredibly difficult to expunge.

Blessings,
Matholwch /|\

You know...I'm not so sure about the half-bricks. Sure, in the 30's, the Blackshirts were bolstered by the hangers-on looking for a scrap. On the other hand, active resistance ensured that a) the fascists were nont given free run in the Jewish areas of the East End and b) they remained marginalised as a political movement, always being associated with sordid scraps. See also Southall. 1970's.

But...there is, of course, a danger. They have become quite clever lately at provoking riots. Their tactic is to go into a community, distribute intimidating literature, maybe duff a couple of people up down an alleyway and then sit chortling as all hell breaks loose. Paxman's interview with Howard refered to 'race riots' at the weekend - a nasty spin on what was people trying to defend their communities.

What happened in Glasgow was interesting. Griffin came to Scotland, boasting that he was going to leaflet in Sighthill, where a Kurdish refugee had recently been murdered. The police warned him off, so he settled on the soft target of Pollokshields - a happy, mixed community. As soon as the leafleting started, people of all colours were on the phone to the police, who pounced and caught one of the cannon-fodder.

Still - it would be deeply satisfying to see some of them on the receiving end of some of the intimidation they like to spread. To coin a phrase: 'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?'

I cant pretend Id be even remotely upset if Nick Griffin had his innards removed with a blunt rusty spoon. F**k Id buy a ticket for that!

Hes an accomplished liar whose deliberate misinformation is contributing to the misery of many people and putting hate into the hearts of others.

My friend Brett on the other hand genuinely believes that shit. It sounded good to me when I was about ten. I honestly thought if communities were segregated well everything would be just fine.

Sounds good but learning more about apartheid and toher stuff taught me it was about as realistic as the theory behind perpetual motion machines.

Whatsmore the people the movers and shakers in the BNP recruit have already been, beat metaphorically and physically in some cases they dont need more anger and punches thrown at them. That's possibly why they are in the BNP anyway what they need is and education.

one love

hi...just stumbled on this thread through

Good on you is all I can say. You bought a smile to my face.

Aye, there's nothing quite like a halfbricked fascist for raising a smile.