Remember, Remember the Fifth of November

On this date in 1605, a man named Guy Fawkes attempted to blow-up the Parliament building in London. For centuries the British celebrated the thwarting of his plot as Bonfire night. In the less-stable global political culture in which we now live, the celebration of Bonfire night has subsided. Yet, Guy Fawkes remains one of my favorite historical figures. By our contemporary definitions he would be characterized as a terrorist, but there's more to Guy Fawkes' story than that. Though his means were anything but admirable, Guy Fawkes' motives can remind us all that a government should never take prominence over its citizens, a government should not instill fear in its citizens but rather should protect and serve its populous. A united nation of passionate individuals can and will exert great and wonderful change in a democratic society. People must believe in their ability and trust their government for this to happen. This is a message that President Elect Barack Obama expressed ever so eloquently last night, just after midnight, on November the fifth.