I have taken notice of many people, friends, coworkers, etc honoring Guy Fawkes on this day, Nov 5.
This bothers me.
Guy Fawkes was a dissident, terrorist and traitor to his country. The goal of the group Fawkes was a part of was to destroy Parliament, killing those inside, including King James, in order to put his daughter, Elizabeth, on the throne.
The reason? Because King James had reacted to two previous Catholic plots to kill him in 1603...granted, the Kings reaction was a bit heavy-handed when, a year later and with much prodding from the Puritans, he showed hostility towards the Catholics, imposing fines and limiting their worship, in addition to removing Catholic priests from the country.
When Guy Fawkes Day was first declared, people would build a bonfire and burn an effigy of Fawkes, in remembrance of his capture and death, not to honor him but to disgrace him.
How has this man become a legend of good? Especially for non-Catholics?
Fawkes belongs hand-in-hand with Che Guevara, Timothy McVeigh, and Osama bin Laden, the only real difference, Fawkes failed before he got started.
Please, before you honor a person, research the person.
So many people today walk around with a Che Guevara shirt, believing him to be some benevolent rebel, in reality, the man was a murderer of women and children, much closer to Saddam Hussein's son, Uday.
Think of the reaction people would have if you wore a mask of Hitler, Saddam or bin Laden with some 'great quote' on it.
Now think about why you honor a man such as Fawkes, unless you are Catholic, if you are Catholic, I can understand.
