The real Guy Fawkes: the media have branded Guy Fawkes a terrorist, but the real story of the "Gunpowder Treason" plot to destroy the British Parliament is not so clear-cut as some would have it.(HISTORY--PAST AND PERSPECTIVE)(Viewpoint essay)

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On November 6, MSNBC, echoing much of the rest of the media, reported: "Yesterday, Ron Paul's campaign raised more than $4 million in a grassroots push tied to the Guy Fawkes plot to blow up the British Parliament in the 17th Century." In truth, the record online campaign haul that day stemmed from an effort developed by Paul's always energetic grass-roots supporters rather than by the campaign itself. As Paul pointed out on his website two days later, the historic fundraising "event was created, organized, and run by volunteers." Moreover, what motivated those supporters to tie their fundraising day to Guy Fawkes was the Hollywood movie V ...