Saturday, March 03, 2007

This week a group of people, probably Christians, set off from Hull to march to London as an apology for slavery (abolished 1834). They were manacled and shackled and a couple of them were yoked together. A fine piece of long distance street theatre, but I for one can't see the point. The slavery they are "so sorry" for is history and I cannot see how anyone living today can feel any guilt for it. To my mind it all reeks of humbug, or exhibitionism.
The same week we can read the following in the Guardian -

"A woman from Latvia had her passport confiscated by a Hull agency that forced her to work 16-hour shifts at a Barnsley factory, sleeping between them in a car."

Present-day slavery is a different matter. Trying to do something about that involves treading on some very influential toes. So let's stick to the meaningless theatrical geatures.
Is the Hull agency still in business? I have not the slightest doubt that it is. Will it be identified by the media? No chance.
There is something symbolic about the slavery penitents walking away from Hull and its 21st century slavers.

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