Turns out this Project 60 is a bit like waiting for a bus. Weeks go buy without anything new, and then hey presto! lots at once.
Not quite sure what to call this one, so I'll just tell you about it. I went to the Orkney Sees Syria vigil yesterday lunchtime. I suppose it could be 'Standing up to Be Counted' or 'Political Activism' but whatever I call it, I certainly haven't done anything like it before.
It was cold and grey and did nothing for my sciatic nerve (except engender in it a deep pain) but when the OH expressed some concern for my wellbeing before I went, I pointed out, perhaps too tartly, that however uncomfortable I was going to be, at least I wasn't drowning in the Mediterranean. Which is, you know, a plus.
An hour is a long time to stand, and in silence, but we mostly managed it. There was plenty to watch as the vigil took place just in front of the Cathedral which is right in the centre of town. I was heartened by the number of tourists who walked up and put money in the box for Cal-Aid.
What I was definitely not heartened by was the subsequent behaviour of our local radio station, BBC Radio Orkney. Initially it put up a photo of the vigil, but after some 'vile and nasty' comments had been posted, they took it down. Seems to me, the right thing to have done would have been to leave the photo up, and block the vile and nasty comments. I'd hate to think the vile and nasty commenters were in such a majority that Radio Orkney was afraid to censor them for fear of losing its audience and found it easier to pretend that a couple of hundred folk had not given up an hour of their time in order to express their solidarity with those much much less fortunate than anyone who lives here.
I am happy to say that I was in blissful ignorance of this while it happened, so missed the vile and nasty comments; judging by what other people have said since, I suspect they chimed with the sort of thing you get on news paper websites like the Express and Mail every time they spin a story about the Migrant Crisis. I'm pleased I missed them.
Yes, much better to be in blissful ignorance - we know before they open their mouths the rubbish they're going to spout. Thumbs down to Radio Orkney, too! Well done for completing the vigil 😄
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