Numbers 298/84: Et tu Brute? Assassination March 15th BC44 .... and now?

Et tu Cressida; et tu Priti? The knives are out for two women at the top of their careers in the wake of the busted Vigil on Clapham Common over the weekend. How could they so traitorously confront the sisterhood? Facts seem to be that organised women protestors 'convened' a nightime Vigil in Memory of the murdered Sarah Everard - knowing it to be illegal under Covid laws. The Metropolitan Police had two options - to allow law breaking or to disperse the crowds. Having first tolerated it when chanting was eventually orchestrated they chose the latter …. and for the consequences of that reaction all our political hypocritical virtue signallers rushed to blame the police for 'over' reacting - not to criticise the women law breakers for convening in the first place. Cressida Dick holds office as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and Priti Patel the Home Secretary and they have set up enquiries.

Et tu Kate? HRH The Duchess of Cambridge had taken it upon herself to lay flowers in a private visit to the Common, like thousands of daytime others, that seemingly broke the Stay Local Regulations applicable in lockdown when taking exercise - Kate's journey no doubt commended by Palace PR. Her 'I'm not Meghan PR Campaign' went even further releasing on Instagram Grandmother's Day cards for William's mother Diana from their three young children. Good news was they also made Kate a cake.
It's worth recalling that the Black Lives Matters flash mob that threw Colston's statue into the river in Bristol were not resisted by the police as they publicly broke the law nor did Police Scotland do much to quell the enthusiasm of Glasgow Rangers fans two weeks ago when they won the Scottish Championship. It is in such contexts that the police undoubtedly believed this time they should take action …. damned if they do, damned if they don't. Women's leaders quite rightly want the police to protect them better but certainly not to police them when they break the law. They want to gather as they see fit outside Parliament today …. in breach of Covid laws. We can and should introduce as many laws as seem necessary but in the end it's how we police with them and advance effective prosecutions that matter.
Et tu Brute was dramatised by Shakespeare of course … … well Yes, he was one of the assassins of Julius Caesar in BC44 but the ring leaders were Decimus and Cassius not Brutus. And the long run beneficiary was Caesar's named heir grand nephew Octavius who eventually became Emperor Augustus as the Republic Caeser had turned into a Lifetime Dictatorship fell with him. The second memorable phrase according to Plutarch comes from the seer Spurina who had warned that harm would come to Caesar no later than the Ides of March. On his way to the Senate Meeting where he would be assassinated Caesar passed that very seer and joked "The Ides of March are come" implying that the prophecy had not been fulfilled to which the seer apparently replied "Aye, Caesar, but not gone." This scenario was also famously dramatised by Shakespeare to Beware the Ides of March. Some 22 Senators are reported to have stabbed him and 60 to have been involved in the plot.

Spring tidying in the garden … Avril's been able to find the occasional sunshine segments and has made some good progress. The first event will be our Barbecue on March 29th of course as that data driven step of Boris' Road Map is reached …. the 'new' gazebo for the occasion has arrived thanks to amazon.co.uk …. and we're expecting contact with other family members on 30th or 31st March .. no challenge yet from the Ides …..
Development & Communities with us on ELC ZOOM It must be said that Sharon Saunders as Head of Communities has put in Herculean efforts to address the Agenda items we've been raising from the Battle Trust. Today at 5pm we got a session together and were able to cover most of the important issues … and learnt that the Prestonpans Town Hall decision will be made tomorrow ….. also Darren Barker agreed to give us a hand with the next stages of Grant applications …..