Campaining and a Glasgow Stabbing!!

Last night we were invited to go to Dumbarton tomorrow to Campaign for a Scottish Nationalist Party member in his own constituency. We left this morning at 9:15 and drove out to Glasgow and then on to Dumbarton. It was about an hour and a half drive. Before arriving in Glasgow Richard, a research assistant at Parliament took us around the nice bits of Glasgow. It was beautiful with the Gothic architecture and other old buildings. He took us around the University of Glasgow and also other prominent universities in the city. It was really great to get a native of Scotland to show us parts I had never seen before. Then we drove on to Dumbarton, upon arriving there we meet up with the Candidate who took us to the SNP headquarters. We were given assignments for different areas of campaigning. At headquarters they keep detailed records of individuals’ political preferences. With the records in hand we headed off to an area of town and knocked doors. When people were home we introduced ourselves and asked them if they had been out to vote or if they intended to. If they did and did not have a ride we offered a ride to them. I was amazed at how many people were absolutely not interested in voting. We knocked on doors practically the whole day and then later on that afternoon we headed home. This was the first time that I have ever participated in “campaigning” like that. Usually in the States campaigning is quite informal and impersonal whereas here in Scotland people actually take the time to go to someone’s house and offer a ride to the nearest polling station. I almost couldn’t believe it. After we had campaigned our little hearts out we headed back to Edinburgh but before we went back we stopped in Glasgow to see some of the “dodgy” bits of town. As we went through the east part of Glasgow we were driving past a pub and saw a stabbing. It was the most horrific thing I have ever seen. There was a man and woman standing outside of a pub and he was holding a bloody knife while about ten feet in front of them stood another man and woman and he was bleeding something fierce. Blood was spilling out like it was something on a movie. Before we knew it the man had taken off his shirt and had it wrapped around his hand. His shirt was soaked in blood. I sat in the car as all of this happened feeling completely sick to my stomach. It was the most unreal thing I have ever witnessed. After that I couldn’t wait to get back home to “safe” Edinburgh. I think that I realized for the first time in my life that crime like that actually does happen. It was definitely an eye opener to life in a metropolitan area.