Ignorance is bliss

Seven or eight years ago I'd never really given much thought to the arms trade, except, perhaps, as the activity of some dastardly Bond villian, later brought down by 007 in the name of Queen and Country.

But then again eight years ago I wasn't living in Custom House. I'd never been to the Garden Community Cafe or met Bill and Eve Perry. And I'd never heard of Defence and Security Exhibition International (DSEi).

DSEi, more often refered to simply as the arms fair, has come to the ExCel Centre in the London Borough of Newham every other September since 2001. In fact, the first ExCel arms fair opened on September 11. Yes, that September 11.

The arms fair is, essentially, a trade fair for weapons manufacturers. Proper weapons. Warships. Tanks. And, yes, I have seen them myself.

For the four-day duration of the arms fair there are warships moored in the docks. These are the same docks that were heavily bombed during World War 2. During the 2007 fair, I took part in a silent vigil at the ExCel Centre. It was a powerful experience, not least because of the police presence. And the tank on display just outside the entrance.

I realise war is a complicated thing. I understand that there are times when it might be necessary to use force against an oppressive regime. But that doesn't give us an excuse to be uninformed.

I didn't know about the arms fair until I moved to Newham, but now I do and I think you should too. Whether you choose to tell anyone else about it is entirely up to you.