Pride of a Nation

I’m a wee bit nervous about my speech tonight because I’m going to break one of the unwritten rules of Scottish Nationalism and talk about Braveheart. Seems fitting given where we are and why we’re here.

You all know me as a very proud and patriotic Scot and I wish I could tell you I was always that way, but the shameful truth is I spent half my life in total ignorance of what it means to be a Scot, and to be ignorant of who you are is very disturbing.  I was taught English history at school, not Scottish history. In 12 years of education there was not one mention of Scottish culture, heritage, resources or achievements. All I knew about Scotland was the lies, stereotypes and racist propaganda I was fed through the media. I felt every inch the poor relation and had no pride in being Scottish, in fact if anything I was mildly embarrassed by it. That wasn’t by chance, that was by design. It was intentional that I should have no feelings of patriotism and be utterly oblivious to the glories of Scotland and her people. The pride and passion I feel today, I discovered for myself and my starting point was Braveheart.

Anyone who dismisses that film as a historically inaccurate piece of nonsense is a fool. Braveheart reminded us of what we once were, what we now were and what might yet be - and that was perceived as a threat. The government and media at the time were horrified that Scots were feeling National pride and decried Braveheart as anti-english, xenophobic and racist. They embarked on a damage limitation campaign to suppress the reaction to Braveheart as much as possible. Even today it’s still perceived as a threat and is the subject of unionist ridicule. I don’t know how many times I’ve been in a debate about Scottish Independence and been told by a unionist to “Away and watch Braveheart”. We Nationalists are dismissed as a bunch of Braveheart fanatics to such an extent that we cringe at the mere mention of Braveheart and we shouldn’t. That film brought the story of William Wallace to me and countless other Scots for the first time, and that wee bit of knowledge changed everything. That film ignited a spark in me that I didn’t even know existed and created an insatiable thirst for knowledge of the truth about Scotland that has never left me. Because of that film I educated myself on everything I could about Scotland past, present and future, and what I discovered was incredible. For the first time in my life I knew who I was and I was so proud of it.

Not only is Scotland rich in culture, heritage, talent and personality, because of its unique geographical location it is immensely rich in natural resources. Scotland has 25% of Europe’s tidal power, 10% of its wave power and 25% of its offshore wind resources. That is incredible even by global standards. And by the way, the ability to turn wind into energy was discovered in 1887 - by a Scot! The billions we bring in in Scottish oil is absolute peanuts compared to the potential of renewable energy. If Scotland’s wealth stayed in Scotland and was properly managed by Scotland, we would be one of the wealthiest Nations in Europe, and that is a fact, not an opinion.

The poverty, unemployment and degeneration we see all around us is the direct result of the union. The Scotland we inherited is the legacy of 300 years of misrule and mismanagement by a foreign country that puts their own interests ahead of ours. Scotland is a Nation. Nations should govern themselves. That is a basic given.  Who exactly benefits from this union, Scotland or England? England is fast becoming a broken and bankrupt country, governed by an incompetent balloon of a man. The question isn’t can we afford to leave the union; the question is why on earth would we stay? The better together campaign are busier than ever with the filthy lies, insults and putdowns of their scare campaign. They are absolutely panic stricken. In fact I think Ted should write a new version of that song – ‘Hey Cameron, what’s that smell? It’s your whole bloody parliament, shitting themselves.’ They are frantically trying, to put down Scots resistance to English rule to maintain the blanket of ignorance and keep the Lion Rampant dormant. Guess what? They’re too late! They’re far too late. The Lion Rampant is wide awake and roaring. We are the Lion Rampant. It’s not the SNP or the YES campaign that will win our freedom, it’s us.

Too many of our fellow Scots still slumber in ignorance like I did and it’s our responsibility to wake them up. We must help our fellow Scots discover the pride and passion that lies dormant in them. To ignite that spark all across the nation so that it blazes up into a Fiery Cross that will call our people together to stand united with one voice and tell them all – Scotland’s daughters and her sons are yours no more. Scotland is free.  And there is not a shadow of doubt in my heart that we will do it.

Wallace and De Moray proved here at Stirling Brig that we Scots can achieve anything. Independence is not about Braveheart. It’s not about William Wallace. But it is about what he represents – Pride, Passion and Freedom.

Saor Alba