4.8 and rising

Seeds require a few factors to grow. They require fertile soil. They require water and they require sunlight.

Sectarianism is a seed too. It starts as a tiny husk and if given the right soil, water and sunlight it too will grow.

So you start with a small husk, likely given to you by family or friends. You will have heard people referring negatively to Catholic schools or using derogatory remarks. In Scotland you will likely have heard this during, or related to football. So you have the seed now from a very young age.
So you have the seed. You know need the soil.

You love your football so when you are old enough you are taken to see your favourite team. Rangers. You enter the stadium in awe. As the game starts you hear the songs you have heard on the TV only this time louder. “What are they singing Dad?” you ask. He tells you the words. Teaches you the songs. “These are the traditions son.” Some words you don’t understand and you don’t want to seem foolish to your dad so you ask your friends what they mean. You find out about words like **** and find out why you want to be up to their knee’s in their blood. You start singing the songs. Songs of hate.

You stand within the crowd singing, you feel part of something, likely for the first time in your life. You feel franchised. You feel powerful. You feel like one of the “People” as they say. You then get older. You get to go to the football on your own. You immerse yourself in the songs. In the traditions handed down to you by your father. Your sense of belonging grows by the game. This is your birthright. You are standing with like minded people. Your people. Belting out your songs. Your songs of entitlement.

The problem with your songs and traditions is that it is focussed on not being something else. The tradition you are taught is that you are the opposite of the enemy. You don’t celebrate you. You celebrate not being a Taig. Standing in the architectural embodiment of your tradition, surrounded by your people, you are taught to hate Celtic. You hate them as they are Irish. You hate them as they are Catholics. You hate them as they are the diametric opposite of you and you are the chosen people. You are taught they helped the Germans during the war. You are taught they harboured peadophiles and gave tacit approval to their actions. You are taught they aid and give succour to terrorist organisations. You are taught the media is against you and for them. You are taught they want to drive you, and your people, from this country. You are taught they are beneath you and are worthy of your hatred. You believe. You are not taught however that none of that is true.

This is your land. Your soil. Now we need the water.

You make the pilgrimage to the cathedral of your traditions on a bi-weekly basis. You feel included. Important. The club make you feel that way. You believe they are the same as you. They hold the same values. How could they not?

You can buy an Orange strip. They understand you. They believe too.
They charge £16.90 for meals. They understand you. They believe too.
They remove a menu item as the name of the dish sounds like the Pope. They understand you. They believe too.
They cut the sash into the pitch before a derby. They understand you. They believe too.
Their directors sing the same songs of hatred. They understand you. They believe too.
Wartime anthems are played over the tannoy. They understand you. They believe too.
They have the equivalent of paramilitary rallys on the park before games. They understand you. They believe too.
Everywhere you look the club celebrate not being what they believe Celtic are. They understand you. They believe too.

So you stand there, every 2nd Saturday, surrounded by your people, being fed by the owners of your cathedral. It is no longer a seed you have.
Lastly to grow to your full potential you need the sunlight. The sunlight is the affirmation by everyone that you are not wrong. Your beliefs and values are the right ones. Everything you have been taught is correct.

When your people smash up a City Centre your club say “it wasn’t our fans, it was others”. You agree. It is the timmy media again.
They then say it was the heavy handed policing. You agree. The Manchester Police is full of timmy’s.
They also say but the TV broke, the organisation was shambolic. You agree. Manchester Council are full of timmy’s.
When you smash up a stadium in Bucharest and throw chairs at stewards the club say that the tickets were inadequate and the chairs were lying around anyway. You agree. Those timmy’s in Romania are trying to destroy you.

UEFA hammer you for singing your songs of hate. Your club say “other people do it, why are you singling us out”. You agree. UEFA is filled with timmy’s.

You are then told that how you were reported is not agreeable with the club. Must be timmy’s trying to get you.

Your enemy brings in the embodiment of evil to you to lead them. This cannot be tolerated. So you get vocal about the attacks on your traditions, on your birthright. Where can you do that. You do that surrounded by like minded people. At home. On the supporters bus. On the internet. Your views on what should be done about this are met with nods. Your views are agreed with by your peers as they have had the same twisted upbringing.

The lack of condemnation means you are never forced to review your values. The lack of condemnation gives tacit approval to your values.
Your club doesn’t condemn.
The media doesn’t condemn.
Your friends and family don’t condemn.
Your peer group don’t condemn.

Worse than that, their lack of words and action give you encouragement. If this was wrong surely somebody would say something?
This is the sunlight. Once the sun hits the seedling and it grows, only then can you see what it will grow into.
Nobody can get to the level of hatred required to want to kill or maim on their own. Many people are born with a nature that may preclude behaviour abhorrent to most. For that behaviour to display murderously nurture has to be given to prejudice.

This maniac may be acting alone, he didn’t get here alone though. If he succeeds in any of his terror attempts the blood will not be on his hands alone.

The sad fact is the one’s whose hands share the stain will probably believe Timmy deserved it and will plant a new seed with that odious utterance….


From Celtic Quick News.