Last Saturday, I had the privilege of joining families from across our region at Kirkcudbright's wonderful Grand Parade. The sun was shining, children were laughing, and our community came together in the spirit that makes events like these so special. It was everything a family-friendly celebration should be - joyful, welcoming, and filled with the warmth that defines our corner of South Scotland.
Yet this year's event also offered us a moment to reflect on who we are as a community, and what values we choose to celebrate together.
In the weeks leading up to the event, organisers faced a difficult decision about a proposed float themed around small boat crossings. After receiving concerns from community members, they made the choice to exclude it from the parade, deeming it inappropriate for a family event. This decision, whilst undoubtedly challenging for the organisers, speaks to something profound about our community's character.
Behind the headlines about boat crossings are human stories of unimaginable desperation. This year alone, twenty people have lost their lives attempting these perilous journeys. In 2024, that number was eighty-two, including children - children whose dreams and futures were cut tragically short in the cold waters of the Channel. These are not statistics to be trivialised or turned into entertainment. They represent some of the most vulnerable people on our planet, fleeing persecution, violence, or poverty so severe that risking everything seems their only hope.
There is nothing light-hearted about despair. There is nothing amusing about exploitation. There is certainly nothing celebratory about death.
There is plenty to celebrate, however, in Kirkcudbright's response. In choosing compassion over controversy, joy over division, the community demonstrated the very best of Scottish values. The organisers faced pressure from different directions, yet they held firm to the principle that a family event should be a place of unity and celebration for all.
As I watched children from different backgrounds playing together in the sunshine, families sharing picnics, and neighbours catching up with genuine warmth, I was reminded why I'd be honoured to represent this town. We are a community that chooses solidarity over separation, understanding over intolerance.
This doesn't mean we cannot or should not discuss immigration policy, border security, or the complex challenges facing our society. These are important conversations that require nuance and respect for human dignity. But there is a time and place for such discussions - and a children's parade on a sunny Saturday afternoon is not it.
The people who make these dangerous crossings are not our enemies. They are human beings, often families with children not unlike those who filled Kirkcudbright's streets with laughter last weekend. They deserve our compassion, not our mockery. They need our help finding safe, legal routes to sanctuary, not additional barriers or stigmatisation.
As someone who hopes to represent the South of Scotland in Parliament, I believe our role is to build bridges, not walls - literally and metaphorically. We must create policies rooted in humanity that address the concerns people have about under-funded public services, housing and inequality.
The Scottish Greens’ approach to immigration has always been guided by these principles. We believe in creating safe, legal routes for those seeking sanctuary. We support proper investment in communities to ensure everyone can thrive together. We recognise that climate change and environmental degradation will only increase global displacement, making compassionate responses more crucial than ever.
But perhaps most importantly, we understand that how we treat the most vulnerable in our society reflects who we are as a people. Kirkcudbright's parade reminded me that we are, at heart, a community of kindness.
Perhaps nothing captured the spirit of the day better than a moment when a band of local young people concluded their set with a powerful rendition of Rage Against the Machine's anthem of resistance Killing In The Name Of. Born from the aftermath of Rodney King's death and the subsequent unrest in Los Angeles, this song has become a rallying cry against racism and injustice across generations. To hear our own young people claim it as their own, to watch them channel its message of defiance against hatred, was both inspiring and appropriate.
These young musicians perhaps represent the future of Kirkcudbright far better than any divisive float could. They understand that resistance to racism isn't just about grand gestures—it's about refusing complicity with systems that dehumanise others. In their music, I heard the sound of a generation that won't be silenced in the face of injustice.
The sun shone brightly on Saturday, but not as brightly as the spirit of solidarity that infused every corner of the celebration. In choosing joy over division, our community showed that when faced with a choice between compassion and controversy, we know which path to take.
That's the Scotland I want to help build—one parade, one policy, one act of kindness at a time.
You can follow my campaign on social media or contact me directly through this blog. I'd love to hear from you.
Laura Moodie
Scottish Green Party Candidate for South of Scotland
