Boycott Scotland and the United Kingdom

To the people of Scotland and the United Kingdom,

Due to the sheer volume of messages we have received, which literally numbers in the thousands, we are obviously unable to respond to each individual response. The number of messages we receive continues to grow and it will likely take days for us to go through all of them. However, rest assured that we are reading each and every one of the letters that we receive.

As such, in order to respond to many of the legitimate letters of concern from the good and decent people of Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole, we have decided to release a letter to further explain the reasoning behind the boycott campaign and how it can be resolved.

As ordinary American citizens, we have no way of being able to influence the decisions of your governments. The only way for us to protest the deeply flawed and offensive action of Mr. MacAskill and the Scottish National Party, as well as the Labour government of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, which has since been proven to have influenced the decision to release the convicted Libyan terrorist, is to exert economic pressure upon your countries. By doing so, your governments will have no choice but to listen to what we have to say. If they do not listen, then your leaders will have proven to the world that they do not care about the people they were elected to represent.

What we demand is the resignation of Mr. MacAskill, the "Justice" Secretary of Scotland, and statements of apology from both the First Minister of Scotland, Mr. Alex Salmond, and the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, to the American families of the Lockerbie victims. We believe these demands to be reasonable and just and the only way to salvage the now tarnished relationship between the peoples of the United States and the United Kingdom.

The victims of the Lockerbie tragedy have been dealt a great injustice in the "compassionate" release of a convicted mass murderer and terrorist by Mr. MacAskill, which was done with the support of the Scottish National Party and the Labour goverment in London. Public indifference in both our countries over the past few years has led to our governments being willing to appease and accomodate tyrannical regimes in the name of oil and big business.

But, for Mr. MacAskill to have released this murderer to further such interests in Libya as a concession to Gaddafi's demands, is offensive and disgraceful beyond any and all comprehension. That this was done using the excuse of "compassion" only makes this disgraceful act even more heinous and nauseating. Words can never express how angry and frustrated the American families are over this betrayal. Many of us have regularly visited Lockerbie over the years to pay our respects to our loved ones who died there on that tragic day, when 270 innocent people were murdered. Since the actions of Mr. MacAskill and his government, as well as the complicity of Westminster in this affair, it has since become impossible to visit Lockerbie and the UK in general without having the burden of this betrayal bearing down upon our hearts and minds.

For justice to be served, Mr. MacAskill must resign. There is no other way. We demand apologies from both Mr. Salmond and Mr. Brown for their complicity in the decision to release al-Megrahi as well as for their lack of respect towards the families of the Lockerbie victims in swiftly dismissing our concerns and ignoring our protestations.

If these demands are met, we will cease this campaign. If they are not, they will only show to the world that these men lack utter compassion and respect for the victims of Lockerbie and their families and friends. It will also show to the world that these men do not care about the people that they were elected to represent, because an economic boycott of another country led by the American people themselves will have a potentially devastating effect that will take years to recover from.

For justice to be served in the name of the victims of Lockerbie, we call upon the people of Scotland and the United Kingdom to demand their leaders to listen to us and take notice. We are not asking for much. The majority of people throughout Scotland agree that Mr. MacAskill was wrong. The majority of people in the United Kingdom disagree with Mr. Brown and the deceitful actions of his government. But you are the only ones who can get them to admit their errors and force them to take responsibility and accept the consequences of their actions.

Lastly, we have been asked by a number of British people as to why our campaign is directed towards "Scotland and the United Kingdom," since Scotland is not a "separate" country from the UK. Quite simply, it is because for all intents and purposes Scotland, due to the unusual nature of devolution, acts and behaves as a separate country except in the area of foreign affairs, which remains in the hands of Westminster. However, as many journalists and political analysts have pointed out, despite the fact of devolution, it has been made clear that political elites in London are quite able to influence and motivate the decisions of Scottish politicians and the allegedly independent legislature in Holyrood.

The victims of Lockerbie had to wait long for justice to be served, and after eight years that was taken away from them last week by Mr. MacAskill in the name of oil and trade with a terrorist regime. They did not deserve such a betrayal and we will not stop until our demands are met and that the men responsible for this travesty are held accountable for their actions. They have been willing to make concessions to tyrants and dictators, and yet when it comes to the families of the victims of terrorism, they make none because there is no financial gain for them or their corporate allies.

It is our sincere hope that justice will be served and that Mr. MacAskill, Mr. Salmond, and Mr. Brown, as well as their associates operating in the background, such as Lord Mandelson, choose to stand up and take responsibility for their actions, instead of offering us nothing but denials and deceit.

To the people of Scotland and the United Kingdom, we hope that your leaders make the right choice.

Sincerely,

A Message to the People of Scotland and the United Kingdom

The Boycott Scotland Campaign