Greenham Common lingers on
The Greenham Common women's peace camp was a powerful campaigning force in the 1980s, which inspired some while infuriating others.
The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's earlier this week about how the police managed to 'paper over the evidential gaps' in some prosecutions launched against the protesters show that those strong reactions to the camp still linger, judging by some of the emails we received in response. Here's a couple:
Louise wrote:
"The women at Greenham common were a brave inspiration to millions of people who oppose the UK's weapons of mass destruction. The work of women such as Helen John alongside CND continues to expose dangerous US military bases on British soil, the myth of Britain's 'independent' nuclear deterrent and the wasteful folly of replacing it. It is a scandal that the law was abused in this way against honest people. If true, the cases should be reviewed and the women exonerated and compensated."
Barbara wrote:
"Luckily the prosecutions did stand, it was a shame the women weren't locked up and the keys thrown away. I lived at Greenham Common during the late 80s & early 90s and although missing the height of the protest there were still many protestors there, and their behaviour was disgusting. They would come onto the base and spray paint the buildings with obsenities, they would spray paint miltary vehicles and cut brake cables, they would preform lesbian acts in font of whoever was passing by including children...it was a little bit more than making their point that cruise missiles were not wanted in the UK."
But what's different from the 1980s is the fact that you can request - and the Police will release - documents from that period which show a police lawyer to be aware of weaknesses in their cases.
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Greenham Common.
This post came to mind when I saw the normal headline mantra from at least one of the newspapers whenever Britons are in trouble overseas. "The SAS are being flown in to aid our subjects"!
Freedom of Information is interesting when it can affects National Security, missiles etc or potential missions from our armed services.
The difference between the Second World War and now is that now supposedly under FOI (injunction excepted) everything is fair game to report even if old fashioned views suggest it would aid enemies or tip off potential foes on what we may be about to do. I thought as much when the discussion about possible action being taken if and when Prince Harry is shipped to Iraq with his colleagues. Public interest is one thing but suggesting actual plans seems foolhardy and in no way helpful to keeping the Prince or any other service member safer.
Now the possible rescue of kidnapped Britons say (I know this "kidnapping has to be confirmed). We shout effectively from the roof tops in effect "Ready or not here the SAS or whoever come!"
All the news reports suggest the British subjects went missing in a very undeveloped country. We do NOT assume such information can be got to the target via a simple satellite telephone call? Whatever happened to "never under estimate your possible enemies"
So Martin, where does freedom of information end and careless if not reckless talk start in such cases?
Someone on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ said pointedly two days ago "The SAS are cleaning their weapons very carefully - in Hereford!"
This constant media referral to "our boys going in" is a sad sort of "sabre rattling isn't it" or sending in a gun ship? Britain is better than that I want to think.
Sabre rattling? Not by the admirable armed services personnel but some of our journalists, who are most likely writing their copy with a pie in one hand and a pint in the other. Given a mile hike, fully laden, they would likely have a coronary. These copy writers want to suggest the old Roman Empire dictum - harm any Roman citizen anywhere in the world and the might of Rome's wrath will descend on the aggressors. Yeah, right!
Can we stop with this display of "Big Earthquake in Peru - nobody British dead!". It is good to be concerned about our subjects but to lie about special treatment or troops being merited gives false hope and insults all other nationalities and their difficulties.
Martin,
The release of the missing Britons was pleasing - all done behind the scenes by sensible minds and without the glare of publicity. Freedom Of Information took a back seat.
I will judge this country's worth if they do not forget those other nationalities who went "missing" at the same time but keep watch and ensure if they can, a similar and satisfactory conclusion - their release too!