GUY FAWKES
Does South Africa, no longer a British Colony, need to commemorate a criminal and a treacherous religious plot that nearly shook British Parliament in 1605?
No, not according to the VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS strives to raise public awareness of the harm that fireworks inflict on people, domestic animals, wildlife and the environment.
HISTORY OF GUY FAWKES
Born: 13 April 1570, Stonegate, Yorkshire
Executed: 31 January 1606, Old Palace Yard, Westminster
Bonfire Night
November 5th is known as “Bonfire Night” or “Guy Fawkes Night” (usually mispronounced locally as Guy Fox Day) , and all over Britain people fire off fireworks, light bonfires, and burn effigies of Guy Fawkes. Some celebrate the failure of the “Gunpowder Plot”, others the attempt, in which a group of Catholic conspirators attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in Westminster when the Protestant King James I was within its walls. That was 400 years ago, 5th of November 1605, in England.
Gunpowder Plot
This “Gunpowder Plot” occurred two years after King James I (of the “King James Bible” fame) ascended to the throne. A group of English Catholics, of which Guido Fawkes was a member, decided to kill the King because it was felt he had reneged on his promises to stop the persecution of Catholics. To this day, it is the law in Britain that a Roman Catholic cannot hold the office of monarch and the Queen is still Supreme Head of the Church of England.
Whilst they succeeded in smuggling several barrels of gunpowder into the basement of the Parliament, the plot was foiled at the eleventh hour: some of the plotters escaped and some turned King’s Evidence and reported on the rest. The unlucky Fawkes was taken in chains to the Tower of London. He was hanged, drawn and quartered. The charge was treason, though some people in England prefer to remember Guy as “the only man ever to enter Parliament with honourable intentions.”
Traditions
To this day, one of the ceremonies that accompany the opening of a new session of parliament is the searching of the basement by a bunch of men in funny hats. Parliament somehow made political capital out of the close call and poor Guy Fawkes is burned in effigy every November 5th on bonfires all over Britain. They sell a lot of fireworks too and children beg for money on the streets to buy them: “Penny for the guy, mister?”
Anti-Fireworks
As the twentieth century wore on, increased disposable income led to more and bigger fireworks being used in domestic settings, and by children, and greater concerns about safety came to the fore in general.
Medical professionals attribute fireworks incidents to causing the loss of eyesight, or fingers, and numerous cases of burns and related injuries. Fire and Police officials identify the Guy Fawkes period as a very busy time, with numerous callouts to fires caused by fireworks and complaints about the misuse of fireworks endangering the public, or damaging property, often with improvised explosive devices using large quantities of fireworks. Others also point out that animals are distressed by the sounds, and bright flashes, of Guy Fawkes Night and call for animals to be kept inside, in quiet places. Zoo staff often express particular concerns for their animals’ safety.
Campaigners have used these concerns to press for restrictions on fireworks sales in the countries that celebrate Guy Fawkes Night. These have ranged from voluntary codes of practice to calls for an outright ban on personal use, with professional public displays being called for instead.
Australia
In Australia, a former British colony like South Africa, the sale of personal use fireworks has been banned in all states, with only authorised persons being permitted to mount displays.
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Please, consider the dangers & effects of fireworks and put an end to a celebration that is not relevant in our country.
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