Thursday 16 June, mid-afternoon.
One minute I was running around my office cheering – to the bemusement and
amusement of my international colleagues – as England scored the winning goal
against Wales in the 91st minute. Then someone popped their head
around the door and suggested I read the news headlines. I went from gleeful
elation to that sense of sinking, sickening, hairs on the back of your neck
tingling horror in just two minutes.
The death of Jo Cox
brought me to tears. A brave, passionate, caring woman, a wife, mother and
politician who strongly believed in the power of democracy to mend what is
wrong in the world. Exactly the kind of person who would stand up and be
counted against the voices of oppression, intolerance and hatred. This woman, a
representative of the tribe of the ‘peaceful majority’, was horrifically killed
on the streets of Britain. And this, just days after Orlando's grief and horror.
You cannot justify, explain
or understand that level of personalized, psychotic violence. It doesn’t matter
what a person’s political, religious or racial background are, they are clearly
damaged if they are looking to exact that level of violence for totally
unreasonable goals. But the fact that Jo Cox's murder took place when it did, to a
person who gave a voice to the powerless and displaced of the world, and was
carried out by someone who claims he wants "freedom for Britain" is clearly
tied to the current tone of political discussion in the UK.
The rhetoric has been
building in the UK for years now, but seems to have come to the surface in
vitriolic bursts of ever-increasing amplification in the last few months.
Hyperbole, hysteria and hate. Rhetoric has consequences. History shows us that
loud and clear. As a species we don’t seem to be very good at learning this. Jo
Cox has paid the ultimate price as a result of that and so this is one of those
pivotal moments where we do have a chance to learn. To learn that there are
more important things at stake than political point-scoring. That our
civilization, and the values that the British are celebrated for, should not be
cast aside for campaign goals or column inches.
Those British values
are a reason for hope in the face of horror. The spirit of the 2012 Olympics,
the support that is shown during every Comic Relief campaign, the work carried out
by British aid workers and care professionals around the world. What Jo Cox
represents – the voice of compassion, tolerance and optimism – cannot ever be
violently eliminated from British society. The peace-lovers are the majority.
For every violent act against peaceful souls who want to make the world a
better place there are hundreds of thousands of acts of kindness to counter
such horror. We have seen it time and again, from the Blitz to 7/7.
This time it was
Yorkshire. When violence and horror visit British
streets we support one other, console each other and have a cup of tea while we
try to take it in. Then we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and carry on
being British. Being tolerant of difference but intolerant of oppression. Being
polite in the face of extreme provocation but firm on our principles. Remaining
stoic and cheerful despite absorbing grief and horror. We are being challenged
at this moment on what makes us British. We must not lose sight of those lauded
characteristics in the face of either senseless violence or political manipulation.
Two children will be
missing their mum at bedtime tonight. I hope the voices of anger and fear
remember that and will now pause to think before they speak.
