6:e June! “Sixth of June! "Sweden's national holiday. The nation-state's chosen day to manifest existence to its citizens. For many a day of reflection and gratitude, worth celebrating as a holiday. For others a welcome day off; if you are not forced to work when everyone else is off. The 6:e June last year was given special weight for its historical perspective; 500 years ago the contours of our Sweden took shape and Gustav Vasa ushered in the future that is still ongoing.
On National Day last year, my wife got, Gunhild Sällvin, receive Danderyd municipality's honorary award for cultural contributions as chairman for thirty years in the Stocksunds library's friend association. It has no connection to Långå and is a private memory that I still dare to mention. Why then?? The context fits into my 'reflection' on national day and the EU election!
The association of friends was formed 1991 when the municipal management was thinking of closing down the library. It was considered unnecessary and, moreover, it cost too much. If someone needed a book, they could buy it, it was considered.
In Sweden, we have freedom of association with the right for everyone to gather and assert their opinions. Gunhild, who was the banner bearer of the resistance movement, was honored last year with the same municipality's top award. This year, the friendship association awarded Gunhild's diploma to three teachers. Motivation: "Democracy is based on knowledge. The path is called love of reading and reading comprehension". School, education and research are foundations of the same importance as the constitutions. History and culture are absolutely necessary in the connection scheme we can call civilization in our community.
Of course, it is possible to feel gratitude in those contexts. Maybe even realize what opportunities and rights we have as citizens, what we own! Maybe even with obligations.
In three days we can freely choose, and thus influence, the orientation and policy that shall apply in the EU, hence the issues relating to fish, fishermen and fishing! It is not wrong to remember that each of us has the same value and denomination as citizens. Only we have the personal exclusive right to call ourselves 'I'!
Helgi Jonsson