Friday, 2024-03-29, 2:48 PM
Welcome, Guest
[ New messages · Members · Forum rules · Search · RSS ]
  • Page 1 of 1
  • 1
Forum moderator: RSAUB  
Forum » ..:: General ::.. » Ulster news » Double Talk Shinners
Double Talk Shinners
CulzieDate: Thursday, 2008-09-04, 8:33 PM | Message # 1
Generalissimo
Group: Administrators
Messages: 1750
Load ...
Status: Offline
Travelling down a one way street
Published Date: 03 September 2008
By NR Greer

Now let me try and get this right. Loyalist paramilitary murals around the Shankill are to be painted over as they are considered threatening and, by general agreement, this is considered a good thing. OK, I am with it so far.
Murals of IRA terrorists such Bobby Sands are to be left alone because they are considered cultural. Mmm.

When it was suggested that IRA merchandise was perhaps a mite inappropriate at the Auld Lammas Fair in Ballycastle, a Sinn Fein spokesman said he saw no problem, but in Craigavon, Sinn Fein see a big problem because the flag of the London Olympics, which features the patterns of the Union Jack, fluttered over the civic centre for a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon.
Ahh, now I understand it: the one-sided hypocritical logic of Irish nationalism is running rampant.

Remember how, a few weeks back, Sinn Fein responded to rightful public disgust at the display of a replica machine gun at an IRA commemoration parade in Londonderry: "Any criticism is typical of unionist denial around collusion and death squads." During the same parade the 32 County Sovereignty Movement, the political wing of the Omagh bombers was represented. Sinn Fein's response advertises its complete and arrogant denial that glorifying terrorism and waving around replicas of the guns that killed hundreds of innocents might be upsetting to victims' relatives. (And also, incidentally, making a lie of the suggestion that the Provisional and dissident wings of the republican movements are not on speaking terms.)

Then there was the recent outburst by Nuala O'Loan on Radio 4, complete with that well rehearsed look of victimhood. The former Police Ombudsman said she was sorry if we found her remarks offensive but pointedly refused to retract them. In essence she said all Protestants are bigots and are trained to be so from childhood. It is repetition of the old nationalist and left-wing riff that Northern Ireland Protestants are universally and aggressively biased against Roman Catholics. The implication is that all Catholics are enlightened, untainted, would-be saints oppressed by Prods and the Brits.

We have heard this sort of bigotry from the mouths of Irish President Mary McAleese, who likes to tell people she is "building bridges" (No Mary, you are not) and from Fr Alec Reid. Nuala O'Loan was partly right, undoubtedly some backwoods protestant preachers do rail unfairly against their Roman Catholic neighbours, but Fr Alec's comments, like those of Mary McAleese, comparing the unionist community to Nazis is ample and highly visible proof that bigotry runs both ways.

Education Minister Caitriona Ruane told the Parnell Summer School in Co Wicklow that it would not be safe for her kids to wear their GAA jerseys in some areas of Northern Ireland, because they would be attacked by those nasty Protestants. Indeed, I would not recommend that you dander along the Newtownards Road in a Tyrone top, but neither would I encourage you to wander around the Bogside in a Linfield top.


Ulster Protestants consider themselves to be a separate nation. This nation they call Ulster
 
Forum » ..:: General ::.. » Ulster news » Double Talk Shinners
  • Page 1 of 1
  • 1
Search: