Why Dunkirk must not be hi-jacked by the #Brexiteers

The post below is not from me but from The Independent and taken from the Vote for Europe Facebook page, shared by Cliff Dartnell. It so sums up my feelings that I wanted to capture it, and then share it for others to read maybe.

“The Remain and Leave campaigns were essentially run like accountants projects: how much do we put in, how much do we get out, how much will it cost us or gain us to leave or to stay.

Nobody ever talked about what it means to be a European, nobody defended it.

The continent had been at war for centuries, and then there were the two world wars. Anyone who ever became aware of the horrors that took place in Flanders Fields in Belgium can never forget them and can never allow them to be forgotten either.

Belgium became a driving force between what would later become the EU. In 1957 – just 12 years after the second devastating world war – visionary leaders of six countries – Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Italy and Germany signed an agreement, the Treaty of Rome. They were determined to make sure there would not be a third world war between their countries. To prevent another war, they committed to laying the foundations of an ever closer union of their peoples based on solidarity. They wanted their peoples to get to know each other, to learn and experience how much they all have in common, and to advance those shared values, to form the basis of a lasting peace for all of us.

Their peoples weren’t ready for it. Many were still struggling with the loss of loved ones in the wars, there was much distrust, the issue of collaboration had caused deep wounds in societies. But these visionary political leaders did what leaders are meant to do: they led. They stood up, and led their peoples, away from enmity and into a partnership that would eventually lead to close friendships.

By 1985 – that is only 40 years after the last devastating war – their peoples and their countries had developed enough (and so much) trust among them to sign the Schengen Accords, with which one border zone was created of which the member states guarded the external borders so that the inner borders could be lifted.

Think about what formidable achievement that was: countries who had been at war for centuries, the last one only 40 years ago – now lifted their mutual borders!

Several other countries joined in, as a result of which the Southern border of Belgium no longer is with France and Luxembourg, it is with the Mediterranean. Our Eastern border no longer is with Germany, it is with Ukraine. Our most Western border now is with the Atlantic in Portugal etc.

As a result, the peoples of these countries became friends. We all live in the same House. We all became Europeans, aware of how much we have in common, sharing and advancing the same core values while each retaining our individuality and diversity, sharing the same dream as the visionaries who had laid the foundations of this formidable peace project for a lasting peace for all of us, in unity while retaining our diversity, in solidarity.

The UK did not take part in The Treaty of Rome. The UK did not take part in Schengen. It just signed up for a skeleton EU membership, with all kinds of opt-outs to strip it from what it means to be European. You missed the whole point. Being European means building bridges across divides, it means bringing people together around what they share.

Unfortunately – and tellingly – Brexit is the exact opposite, inward looking and divisive as it is.

And let me add that with this Dunkirk talk, Brexit is becoming dangerous too. It is evoking and promoting enmity of the world wars – this is complete and total, dangerous, reckless madness. We all know what this sort of thing has led to before in the past.”

The referendum & its aftermath – Facebook posts from 6th June 2016

I’ve never been on Facebook as much as I have been in the last month. Since my last post on this blog, I’ve been commenting and writing stuff on first the referendum, then the upsetting result, then the consequences to both major parties and through it all my feelings and those who have commented on my posts have been recorded.

It’s an important point in our country’s history. Things will surely never be the same again. Personal decisions have been made, feelings expressed. I thought it was a worthwhile enterprise to record my participation in these events. The post will stand as long as Facebook archives remain. That’s another story!

The Comments under each post should be readable by clicking on them which will open the Facebook post. I’m impressed at this embedding of posts, it works well.

13th July 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154311777607812

12th July 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154313152772812

3rd July 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154288329037812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154287425227812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154287421387812

2nd July 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154284247227812

30th June 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154281413257812

28th June 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154275491657812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154275315067812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154275268162812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154275213252812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154274832217812

27th June 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154273406517812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154272620717812

26th June 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154271249687812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154271203222812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154270870832812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154270770462812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154270040397812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154269816817812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154269779952812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154268993087812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154268978757812

25th June 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154267748037812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154267431702812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154267356412812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154267336372812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154267287842812

24th June 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154266218327812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154266213242812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154266183872812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154266146397812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154264813062812

22nd June 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154259490017812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154259488467812

20th June 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154252813167812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154252774762812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154252769782812

17th June 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154244842102812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154244829562812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154244821872812

15th June 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154240922942812

11th June 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154230609747812

8th June 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154222017422812

7th June 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154220049432812

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154219832937812

6th June 2016

https://www.facebook.com/diharrison/posts/10154218320892812