Terrorism, extremism, right wing...not new.

I have never met the late Jo Cox MP, www.jocox.org.uk/  grievously murdered Thursday 16^th June. So whilst her death is personal to her dear family and friends, it should also mean much to those of us who did not know her. 

I am so sickened by the current rhetoric that attends politics, politicians, and the febrile atmosphere surrounding political activities, from formal institutions to the local.  We cannot deny that this is aided and abetted by press, media and social media too. The lies, the innuendos, the blame, the threats, and the labelling;  for, against, pro, anti. It is only natural that there are ‘differences’ in politics, between politicians, and those  enthused by the democratic process, but  as Jo Cox said in her maiden speech…more united and have far more in common with each other than the things that divides us.

That terror was brought to the street outside a library cannot be denied.  But we have to also acknowledge that ‘labelling’ hypes up situations; primarily, I am thinking of the words ‘terrorists  extremists’, and that which is almost the norm now…to see those tied to ‘Islam’ and ‘Muslim’  But even now, the words ‘refugees’, ‘migrants’ appear as negatives to many. 

So what does it say of our society that in 2016 we can see a billboard poster with snaking queues of people, with the clear purpose of identifying them as  ‘different’ and  'other' ; that they’re going to come here to swamp us. This is not new to Britain. What was the political slogan, Smethwick, 1964?   
The Conservatives were widely reported as using the slogan "if you want a nxxxxr for a neighbour, vote Labour. I suppose I should point out the Tory party rejected the claim saying that this was the work of far right extremists. 
But it was out  there. Right wing extremism, racist.  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Griffiths

All this wordage feeds division, forcing us into ‘camps’ that are feared, loathed, despised and on occasion, those who have been labelled into 'camps' are hunted down.

But if we spotlight one and not the other, we do society a dis-service.  

We cannot afford to maintain a ‘head in the sand stance.’ We have to call out right wing terror and terrorism wherever we find it, or where it finds us. And it found Jo Cox without doubt. 
It would appear now that her assailant will face the judge under terrorism protocols. In very sad times for her family and friends, and us all, there could have been no other call.

We cannot continue to imagine that as a society we are immune to this form of terrorism, or that it is exclusive to other areas in the world. Or are we denying the rise and actions of the far right in mainland Europe and beyond? We have seen the demonising of ‘others’ through words, headlines and now posters to a level that should neither continue to be ignored nor go unchallenged.

Here in Scotland perhaps we can view public services in a different light, but whilst what is achieved here might or might not be the optimum, it is achieved in the context of being part of the UK union. 

Cut backs, increasing poverty in the guise of ‘living within your means’, disguising enforced austerity as some form of growth for the future does not make for a safe/safer society. 

But the UK has seen vocabulary, front page headlines, even cartoons, escalate to levels where migrants are blamed for low wages. But we all know that employers set wage rates, not the workers. Migrants are blamed for a lack of access to hospitals, doctors, dentists, but we all know that the NHS requires investment, not cut backs. Migrants are blamed for over-crowded schools but we know that without a programme of school building and teacher training there will be little or no change.

Have we learnt nothing from old Europe, disunited Europe of the 20^th century? 

The politics then, the same scape-goating,  billboards,  posters,  flag waving, the and  the ultimate conditioning of people to see, and for a while, accept the unacceptable: the move from despising the ‘other’ to the killing of the ‘other’. 
Today's National www.thenational.scot again pin points fault lines in the EU debate and the reasons for #Remain, not lest right wing extremism and its impact here and abroad that could well continue to escalate if we are out of the EU, with negative economic and political change at Westminster. Dave or Boris? Boris or Dave?

Terror and terrorism struck down a public figure, an MP; someone who choose to enter politics, public life, someone that was put into public life by voters, the likes of you and me.

Will I be able to go down the road, locally, to meet with the person that was willing to take up political office, my MP?   

Will that easy access, on the streets, at the Gala day, in the constituency office continue? 

I hope so, and from what I have heard and seen, it will.

Otherwise, one part of our democratic process died Thursday 16, along with 

Jo Cox...................R I P ...............and all those others murdered for their beliefs, their ethnicity...just for being themselves......