We weren't put on earth to destroy ourselves

AFTER 18 years campaigning to bring Labour to power, I find it very strange that five years into my retirement I found myself demonstrating against that same Government.

I am a grandmother now, but I still remember the sadness when the telegram arrived during the Second World War informing the family that my father's youngest brother had been killed.

My father was one of 11 children, and I suppose we were in the same situation as many other families.

Later another telegram arrived to say my father was missing; he served as a

regular with the Royal Marines.

Thankfully, he turned up during the D-Day landings.

He took to his death the details of exactly where he had been during this period.

When pressed, all he would say was that he had been one of the lucky ones.

Only during his last months did we learn through his nightmares what

he had been through.

He died of a heart attack just a year older than I am now, 18 years ago.

In the early Forties I was not old enough to really appreciate the hardship of life in those days.

In addition to the obvious resulting deaths and heartbreak, there was food rationing. I never saw a bar of chocolate until I was nine, fresh fruit was a Christmas luxury, as was chicken etc.

The war left its mark on us all and I have never forgotten this strange,

dishevelled-looking man turning up, in the middle of the VE Day celebrations, telling me he was my dad.

My mother wept tears of joy.

Eventually life returned to some semblance of normality and some two years

later, with the war still fresh in our minds, we had a school lecture on the

newly-formed United Nations.

We held a competition to see who could draw the best picture of the world showing the links between all the countries of the UN.

Mine was put on the wall as one of the best and I was very proud.

I was always a serious child who, like many others, had been affected by the

war and its repercussions, and to me the term United Nations represented hope.

After all, if we were all united how could there be another war?

Never again would I have to risk losing my beloved dad, even if he was still

in the Marines.

This simplistic theory helped form my lifelong belief in socialism and I still maintain that our main purpose in life is to help one another.

As the years have passed the UN has fulfilled my expectations, by-and-large. The formation of UNICEF has also helped the victims of unrest and thankfully there has not been any further major wars.

I long ago realised that, given the nature of mankind, there will always be

the possibility of smaller countries with their own agendas, believing the way to achieve their aims is to destroy their fellow man.

I thanked God for the UN and hoped and prayed this would prevent the sort of carnage that is war on a big scale.

Now I am horrified to find it is isn't a small insignificant country which is considering action which will undoubtedly lead to the deaths of innocent men women and children, but the two most advanced and powerful nations in the world, the United States and Britain.

Just as importantly, these two major powers appear to be hell-bent on usurping an authority which has stood us in good stead for more than half a century. This despite the advice of every respected authority in this and many other major countries.

The evolution of humankind is a slow and tortuous process. I had begun to believe we were progressing, but it would appear we have not yet passed the stage where we can only influence potentially damaging events by destroying one another.

It does not matter whether we are destroying black people, white people, Muslims, Christians or whatever, we were put on earth to help one another, not destroy ourselves.

I have listened to all the arguments butthere has to be a solution which does not jeopardise and potentially destroy humanity. This is why I marched last Saturday. I hope Messrs Bush and Blair were watching and listening.

Updated: 12:38 Tuesday, March 18, 2003