There'll always be an England

"They came in red cardboard papal hats scrawled with the words "bigot" and "homophobe" and carrying placards, rainbow flags, pledges of atheism and balloons made of condoms. One giant banner showing the Pope carrying a swastika was later taken down after offending many of the protesters, who went as far as complaining to the police officers lining the route of the march to Downing Street." — The Observer

It's not often I feel pride for my country, but it's hard not to read reports of the protests marking the Pope's visit to Britain, and not feel a small swell in the heart's cockles or, if not in the cockles themselves, somewhere in the near vicinity. The fact that the protestors objected to the Nazi comparisons of their fellows, and that those protestors listened, puts me over the edge entirely. A bigot, arguable. A homophobe, that's only fair. But a Nazi? Let's file that under youthful indiscretion, shall we... Oh my super-rational, cheerfully Godless countrymen! How I love you so!