The Immortal Memory
First Minister Jack
McConnell on Robert Burns.
Night after night, this month and next month, thousands of
people around the world will toast the immortal memory of a
Scottish farm labourer who died more than 200 years ago.
There is no doubt that Robert Burns was a
great poet.
His musings on love still have the power
to move even the most cynical of hearts
No political philosopher, has written more
powerfully about class and politics as the ploughman poet.
And the rollicking phrases and powerful
images of the epic Tam O'Shanter are as exciting as any action
movie of the 21
st Century.
But it is not just his poetic genius that
makes him one of the most important cultural figures Scotland,
indeed Britain, has ever produced.
It is the essence of the man that is
celebrated every year the world over, from South Africa to
Russia, from New York to Melbourne.
He was a proud and generous man, who
despised cant and hypocrisy. He dared to dream of a society
where neither rank nor wealth mattered, and he loved his
country, even while writing about the many iniquities of 18
th century Scotland.
He would be completely at home in 21
st century Scotland - where a fresh sense of
identity and political devolution have created an exciting
opportunity to forge a new future for our country.
He would have contributed to the great
debates of our time, perhaps even led some of them.
Modern communications would have held no
fear for a writer whose prodigious output over a 22 year period
has rarely been equalled.
And he would have made a unique ambassador for
Scotland as we carve out a new role for ourselves in Europe and
the rest of the world.
The spirit of Robert Burns is the spirit
of Scotland, - a country of passion, one always open to new
ideas and a place where people of all backgrounds and cultures
can flourish together.
His message of equality is still our
message today:
For a' that and a' that
It's coming yet for a' that
That man tae man the world o'er
Shall brithers be for a' that.
Wherever you are in the world, I give you
Scotland's unique and special toast - the immortal memory of
Robert Burns.
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