It’s good to see for once that the public of Belfast appear
to be united against a shameful affair. I’m referring, of course, to the case
of the British Army cadet who wasn’t given a Duke of Edinburgh award by the Lord Mayor Niall Ó
Donnghaile. There really is a point where people have to say enough is enough,
whether that’s by words or actions – or in this case refusal to act.
Because what we have here is a 15-year-old who has been
encouraged along the path of organized violence. This child has barely reached the age of puberty, yet she has
been enlisted in an organization where people are taught to kill other people –
with guns, with grenades, with tanks, with rockets, with bombs. Last year cash-strapped
Britain spent over £38 billion on training and equipping people to kill or
threaten to kill other people. To that you can add another £34 billion for the
Trident nuclear replacement, a death-programme designed to kill civilians by
the million. Meanwhile there are nearly three million people out of work in
Britain today, while those who are in work are having their pensions gutted and
their pay slashed to fill the pockets of bankers and bond-holders.
It’ll be three more years before this cadet child is allowed
to vote. It’ll be three more years before she can get married without his
parents’ consent. Yet right now, without a murmur from anyone, she is being
inducted into the world of weapons, violence, mutilation and death. Thank God someone at last has had the
courage to refuse to lend his office to this corruption of the young. Maith
thú, Lord Mayor – well done!
Took the words out of my mouth Jude, surely this is child abuse?.As long as britain has long dole ques filled with soap watching sun readers it will have a ready supply of "Oil Pirates". What if the Mayor stated that he was a christian and it was against "scripture" to promote war and killing?
ReplyDeleteShe, not he!!
ReplyDeleteBecause the Shinners have taken this position as pacifists? I don't think so. A bit of meaured reason wouldn't go amiss here.
ReplyDeleteAlso, to my knowledge, the child in question was a girl.
Anon 10:52 - thanks for info - I will check the child's sex - or as they say now, gender.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNote: thanks to Anon and as one of our great local papers, the Belfast Telegraph, reports, the British Army cadet was in fact a girl, not a boy as I originally assumed, and 15, not 14 as I'd somehow gathered. Whether either of these facts changes the case I'll leave up to you, gentle reader. Btw, if you're posting comments and they're not appearing, please let me know by other means - I've begun to check posts before allowing their publications, for reasons too sad to go into. So if you've posted something that you think should have been showing, get in touch - Facebook, Twitter, email.
ReplyDeleteHow can you say well done mayor? He insulted and disrespected a child, a child who had EARNED her Duke of Edinburgh award, an award that mr Ó Donnghaile Could never achieve himself. Its an absolute joke and action should be taken. He doesnt like the british we have all gathered that, he doesnt like the british government or the british army but he takes the british pound for doing an absolutely terrible job! GET HIM OUT! And as for the money spent on training these KIDS.. I was an army cadet you arent taught to KILL as you put it you are taught disicpline and honour, children are privledged to be part of something so great. Being an army cadet you arent taught 'violence, mutilation and death' of course the republicans are going to say you are to make british look bad but more fool you because the LORD MAYOR is on his way out!
ReplyDeleteBunch of bigoted thugs? The lord mayor has showed nothing but disrespect for the protestant community. He did not show up to rememberance day he wouldnt wear a poppy he removed pictures of royals from the mayors parlour and now he has refused to give a child an award! Final nail in the coffin this man is the thug! We want our country to move forward but how can we with people like neil odonnel in charge, a lord mayor who cant put his own prejudices aside!
ReplyDeleteRegardless if she was in the cadets or not, that has absolutely no bearing on refusing to give her the award, being familiar with duke of ed I know its extremely time consuming and takes a lot effort to gain a bronze award let alone a gold award and she should never have been rejected it. Absolutely scandalous decision by Niall and I expect a resignation in the immediate future.
ReplyDeleteI tried to interest the Nolan thingy with a "Modest proposal" but they weren't interested. It occurred to me that as the main complaint from the loyalist camp (there is no point differentiating)is that this was not very a inclusive act by the Mayor. Well how about he brings her in to the office endorses her cadetery by being photographed doing the act and then as a an act of inclusivity he creates a precedent for all Belfast Lord Mayors by joining, chain and all, in the National Graves Easter Parade to the republican plot where lays a wreath of Easter lilies. Now as you know Jude, The National Graves people have no particular affiliation to any specific republican grouping so his would be an act of reconciliation for all republican factions.
ReplyDeleteNow, in future years it would be nice to see the Moderate Unionist Alliance party, DUP, SDLP and Ulster Unionist Mayors all follow suit and show THEIR inclusive natures.
Jude
ReplyDeleteYou will be hoping, like me, that we see no more images of children in South Armagh brandishing replica weapons.
Apparently theres to be a protest held tonight at the Cty Hall, either at 5 or 6pm, against the Mayor and his actions. It seems odd, given that the deputy mayor has'nt even the manners to SPEAK to the Mayor. Grooming children in the gloifying of the art of war is wrong, when looking at the 100's of thousands of innocent children killed in the unglorious invasions of Iraq and Afganistan.
ReplyDeleteApparently theres to be a protest at the City Hall tonight, against the Mayor. They cant use the channel of the Deputy Mayor to make their protest, because she wont even speak to the Mayor. This is more of a story. Pure bigotry plain and simple. Thousands upon thousands of children have been murdered in Iraq and Afganistan. Lets not groom our children, in the glorification of death and destruction....
ReplyDeleteYour a joke! Cadets are trained to join the ARMY! The people that are fighting others to protect you! Pathetic that you would call them murderers! They are risking their lives so you can live yours! Stupid Irish man
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I'm a Republican and I voted Sinn Fein at the last election- taking this stance under the guise of pacifism is, as another poster has pointed out- laughable. "I am not a pacifist" are the words I recall from Gerry Adams on his TV doc about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict(and his religion) in recent years. Anyway, the idea that our media and body politic see such instances as talking points makes me realise why I can't wait to get on a plane.
ReplyDeleteHi Jude.
ReplyDeleteI read it was a girl.. doesnt matter.
Having been in the Army Cadets as a kid I can assure you they are not training young killers nor anything close. Far from that, the focus of their actions was quite the opposite.
I would imagine that the majority of your second paragraph is speculation, while I don't dispute the outrageous sums of money (just imagine the hospitals and schools that could be built) or the purpose of military force, I think you haven't got a clue about what actually goes on.
Things I wasnt taught:
-Killing people
-Blowing stuff up
-Politics
Things I was taught:
-How to iron a shirt
-How to make a bed
-First Aid
-Camping in the woods
-Canoeing
-Abseiling
-Taking pride in my appearance
-Working with people from different backgrounds
-Travel
-Hiking
Above all I was taught that life in the Army was NOT like being in a rambo movie nor would it be a fun job.
There is no glorification of violence, no local sectarianism etc. The majority of the adult instructors who are in the army cadets are teachers from schools or TA members who want to work with kids and they do fantastic work.
For example, each year they take away hundreds of kids to a 10 day 'camp', these are kids from the most deprived areas of NI, specifically the ones I went with were from North Belfast slums, half of them could not read/write, their ma/da was in jail etc they were little terrors, with a high chance of being little terrorists before too long.
There is some pseudo-discipline which grated on these kids but eventually they got with the programme and gradually took pride in themselves, it was quite a transformation to see kids who'd never had a positive word spoken to them being transformed and being proud of themselves.
We were shown first aid techniques, always good isnt it? Shown how to camp in the woods, how to look after ourselves.. things a lot of these kids had never seen.
We were taught the bloody history of the army, Taken on tours to see the Somme, Arras, Messines, Ypres etc.. nothing but devistation etc.. things that I think every child should see, more over, something every politician should be forced to see.
So what about Guns and shooting?
Well, yes, we were taught how to shoot a rifle at a round paper target, not the outline of some Irish man, some Arab or some Native African. Above all, the demonstration of the danger of guns was demonstrated in a safe and controlled environment rather than the back streets of the shankill road.
Couldnt a non-government related youth club do all this? Yes of course and many do, many schools aim to achieve just this.. I was fortunate enough to be in an Army Cadet detachement run in my school by a very very good teacher and a more peaceful man you would not meet. But what about those working class prod children who this lot are obviously targeting? Odds are they see schooling as a chore and something they want to avoid, I personally blame the parents, and again a lot of the problem kids who I met were not the sort of parents who would encourage schooling, some were orphans in a system who didnt care, a lot had ex-paramilitary parents who were a waste of space etc. So they're not going to get that sort of care or attention from a school or a church based group. The kids are perhaps drawn by the illusion of Tanks, bombs, Guns and helicopters but that isnt what they get... but once they are in and are learning about themselves in a safe environment it can help transform them, for the better.
I think to slate the organisation is doing a disservice to those who volunteer to work with the kids who are in it.
Would an organisation such as the GAA give as many opportunities to working class kids? Of course, pity the working class prod kids dont have a similar avenue.
Anon 14:14 and Anon 14:47
ReplyDeleteI think if you check at no point did I speak of pacifism or non-pacifism: I simply listed what the British Army does - it trains people to kill and gives them the equipment with which to do it. So do all armies. I accept your info,
Anon 14:47, but the fact remains that the child is a British Army cadet - whatever she does or learns is sponsored/taught by an organisation whose job is to kill or threaten others with violence. Simple fact, that. It's likewise in other countries. When I taught in Canada, I remember a vocations day which included a display of military hardware - machine guns etc.- for the youngsters to admire. And of course they loved it, especially the boys. I just found it more than a bit repulsive.
And the images of children brandishing (hopefully fake) weapons in S Armagh ? In a GAA club I think.
ReplyDeleteWere they a bit repulsive ?
YOU said, an organization where people are taught to kill other people....Was there not an illegal organization who done that in your country?
ReplyDeleteIt's funny to see how Anon 14:47 has basically proved your article nonsense so you've just simply replied 'well, she is still a British Army cadet.'
ReplyDeleteRather than encourage youngsters to be learning life skills and do something for their community in obtaining the DoE award I bet you would rather they were out on the street causing violence against the security forces.
How much would you bet, Andrew?
ReplyDeleterichard dallat as mayor of derry blocked the roads down here at the height of the drumcree debacle,when three young children where murdered as they slept and michael mc goldrick was slaughtered as he worked as a taxi driver,dallat broke the law and he was sanctioned,niall has'nt broken any law,just offended those that want to be offended,are british and possibly racist,they are the ones who are abusing children for a petty political point,the same way children were murdered during drumcree,to allow a petty political point,move on folks,these sort of judgements are made for the greater good every day.niall is a good mayor.
ReplyDeleteI echo your sentiments Jude.
ReplyDeleteAnon 14:47's description makes the British Army Cadets sound like nothing more than a Scouts club (a very expensive one at that!) when in fact, it's a lot more sinister than that, regardless of what way some dress it up.
Let the British Army deprive children of their childhood, they're experienced at that.
THAT MAN MADE A DECISSION FORMED HIS OWN OPINIONS WHICH HE IS ENTITLED TO DO AS EVERYONE ELSE IS. HE IS ENTITLED TO HIS OPINION AS INDEED EVERYONE ELSE IS HE HAS NOT VERBALLY ABUSED ANYONE NOT MADE BIGOTTED REMARKS OR CALLED ANYONE A BIGOT . AND FOR THIS HUE AND CRY TO DEVELOP OVER SUCH A SMALL MATTER THOSE PEOPLE WOULD BE BETTER SERVED SPENDING THAT ENERGY ON THAT CONSERVATIVE LED GOVERNMENT SO INTEND ON MAKING THE ORDINARY POPULATION PAY THROUGH THE EYES AND NOSE FOR THE GREEDY BANKERS. ROBBING BILLIONS UPON BILLIONS FROM ALL OF US A CASE IN POINT ABOUT THIS SO CALLED GOVERNMENT, THEY ARE PREPARED TO MAKE THE TAXPAYER THEY SO CARE ABOUT FOOT THE £100.MILLION IT WILL TAKE TO SHUT DOWN AN AIRCRAFT FACTORY THAT MAKE MILITARY PLANES ,SUCH AS THE FAMED RED ARROWS AS AN MP POINTED OUT TO THE P.M THAT SAME AMOUNT COULD BE BETTER SPENT PROVIDING 5 NEW PLANES FOR THE RED ARROWS ,BEARING IN MIND THEY HAVE HAD 2 LOSES IN IN RECENT WEEKS THEREBY ACTUALLY GETTING SOMETHING FOR ITS MILLIONS INSTEAD OF UNEMPLOYED TECHNICIANS AND SKILLED WORKERS LIKE FOR LIKE NO LOSS BUT NO THE PEOPLE AS YOU CALL YOURSELVES WOULD RATHER SOUND LIKE A LOAD OF BILLY GOATS BLAH BLAH NAAA NAAAAA AND RIDICULE SOME BODY WHO DECIDED NOT TO HAND A CHILD A MEDAL GROW UP JOIN THE REAL WORLD DONT EXPECT ME TO REPLY TO ANY OF YOUR RETURN POSTS
ReplyDeleteJude
ReplyDeleteMost countries have armies and generally we civilians accept their existence as a necessary evil, though we may disagree on what they should get up to.
So should they have any involvement with young people at all, or should they be kept apart?
Are you saying down with this sort of thing everywhere ?
Which maybe an arguable point, if a bit extreme.
Or is it just the evil Brits again?
I THOUGHT THAT PART OF THE REASON FOR HAVING ARMY CADETS AS WELL AS LEARNING DISCIPLINE MAKING YOUR BED, SELF HELP , CAMPING ,ETC ,WAS AS A PREPARATION FOR JOINING THE ADULT SERVICE. WHERE THEY LEARN TO MAKE BEDS, SELF HELP, CAMPING ETC AND AT NO POINT IS EITHER SERVICE TAUGHT HOW TO SHOOT WEAPONS OR LEARN HOW TO KILL ,ETC AND IF A MAN OBJECTS TO ALL THIS CAMARADERIE THEN HE MUST BE SERIOUSLY SOME SORT OF VILLIAN , WOW THATS WHERE RAMBO WENT ASTRAY CAUSE HE LEARNT ALL THAT STUFF NUMBSKULLS
ReplyDeletegio - I agree, most countries have armies and you and others may consider them a necessary evil. Why necessary? For example, what country would you say is likely to attack/invade Britain? Or the US, for that matter? Or Germany or France...I really don't understand why politicians aren't screaming their heads off about expenditure when much of the population are on their knees financially. As for nuclear weapons...Don't start me again.
ReplyDeleteJude
ReplyDeleteOn nuclear weapons I agree. A criminal waste of money.
But are you really proposing to disband all armies?
How would you start?
Should western governments give up their armed forces and hope that all others follow suit?
Why is it necessary for you to have locks on your doors?
The young girl is NOT a "British Army cadet" (which political party have you imbibed that erroneous term from this week...), and the Army Cadet Force is NOT an organization where people are taught to kill other people – with guns, with grenades, with tanks, with rockets, with bombs.
ReplyDeleteYou should retract this nonsense.
Cadets are run as an independent organisation with charitable status. They're not an armed wing of the British state, though that is a term that would amply cover the PSNI. I sense some ideological confusion in this matter.
ReplyDeletejust saw billy hutsinson on the t.v complaining about Niall and calling for him to be removed from office!! wasnt Billy the one who lead the protest`s at holy cross, at which young children from the age of 4 to 11 where spat at, had their lives threatened and had blast bombs thrown at them, while they were trying to get to school and improve their lives, and he is calling on Niall to resign for not handing someone a peice of paper
ReplyDeleteit's the ATF army cadet force, youth organisation that offers progressive training in a multitude of the subjects from drill training to adventurous training (such as Outward Bound) and first aid, at the same time as promoting achievement, discipline, and good citizenship, to boys and girls aged 12 to 18 and 9 months years of age.
ReplyDeletewith holding a duke of Edinburgh award from a teenage Girl is a shameful act that even SF have recognized that’s why the mayor issued an apology, some people just don't think before they speak or blog...
JUSE GREAT ARTICLE, THE MAYOR FOLLOWED HIS PRINCIPLES AND DIDNT HURT ANYONE BY REFUSING TO GIVE A AWARD TO THIS YOUNG PERSON, I SEE IT AS GIVING AN AWARD TO A SOLDIER THE VERY SAME SOLIDERS WHO HAVANT APOLIGISED FOR THE COUNTLESS MURDERS OF INNOCENT KIDS BY PLASTIC BULLETTS, AND WHAT ABOUT THE FAMILIES OF THE BALLYMURPHY MASSACRE? NOT EVEN A SOLID SORRY, THE MAYOR HAS A RIGHT TO DO THIS, IN ANY INSTANCE HE WAS BREAKING NEW GROUND ON EVEN PRESENTING AN AWARD BY THE ROYALY FAMILY-THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD, SO HE WASNT BEING BIGOTED HE WAS STANDING BY WHAT HE BELIEVES! MAITH THU NIALL
ReplyDelete@ Cathy 11;30 would a Protestant mayor lay a wreath on the falls as remembrance to the fallen of the Easter rising? Would a Protestant mayor wear an Easter Lilly? Would a Protestant mayor leave Irish language And united Irishmen posters hanging in the wall of the parlor? And above all would an older deputy lord mayor ignore the mayor to date after his appointal?........ Oh wait.....
ReplyDeletewhile I think the principle being outlined by Jude is fine, more sensitivity is needed when handling children so young. I would not have wanted to hand out the award but would have felt bad about not doing so because of the tender years of the recipient.
ReplyDeleteI love how some people make a comparison between the British Army and the GAA. Recently, the Conservative Secretary of State, Owen Patterson was invited along to see how a GAA club ran its day to day activities leading him to publically saying, "David Cameron's 'Big Society' is already being carried out by the GAA"!! The GAA is a cultural and sporting organisation that takes pride of place in communities throughout Ireland, North and South. They were not involved in the murder of 13 innocent people in Derry in the 70's of which 7 were teenagers protesting for their civil rights - they were not involved in all the various collusions with terrorists, both Republican and Loyalist throughout the troubles and more recently, they are not the ones who were being trained in the use of attack drones by Israeli forces leading to widespread condemnation from human rights group worldwide! That, my friend, is the British Army!! Oh, and by the way, those photos of the young kids with the replica weapons were not taken at a GAA club - get the facts right!!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 09.52
ReplyDeleteYes I believe it was not a GAA club(though I did not state that as a fact!)
It was a group of children brandishing replica weapons in paramilitary style uniforms. I am sure you will correct me if I am wrong in that. I was simply wondering if Jude was concerned for these children too?
By the way Jude, still waiting to hear how you would go about ridding the world of all those unnecessary armies!
Im confused,most of the unionist commentaters on this subject talk about this being a dig at the protestants of the city and non inclusion of the protestant community. Does this mean that the british army is a protestant organisation and therefore sectarian?.If thats true the mayor is right, but i don't think he sees it that way but i will let him speak forhimself. I believe it's a moral issue.The majority of people on this planet are civilised, thus the degree of stability however small in most parts of the world.The civilised human would be appalled at grooming children to commit violence and murder and would use such phrases as "bad parenting" "ungodly" "child abuse" "child exploitation" etc. But unfortunatley in this part of the world militarism, uniforms,marching, jingoism, celebbrating bloody skirmishes,the illusion of supremacey over ones neighbours abhorant and illegal in most of the civilised world are seen as the norm or "culture". There are some progressives however who are trying to construct a real culture unfortunately so far the the only content is a sunken ship, funny shaped stones up the coast, a country accent and two big yellow cranes. Oh, i forgot, weired weather that stops at the border.
ReplyDeleteCathy, do you watch the news with your eyes closed? Or maybe listen to the radio with the sound down? The Royal portraits are hanging in the Mayor's parlor to this very day, only yesterday the greasy greek was there for all to see on the 6:30 news.
ReplyDeleteHmm like no other country has Army Cadets including the Irish Defence Forces
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOW98Dp0ihM
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHe maybe should have presented the award but my god, how hypocritical are unionist politcians. They won't recognise the Easter lily and they won't recognise irish war heroes (Wolfe tone-roger casement both Protestant united Irishmen). Yet they expect us to stare at photos of a foreign queen, work under a union jack and now all this kick up about an Irish 'merry Christmas' sign, which apparently represents a foreign language. Joke.
ReplyDeleteI fail to understand why as a republican he presented any of these royal-titled awards.
ReplyDeleteWhere's the equivalent, where a unionist would be expected to present an award, named after a republican figurehead. Parity of esteem wouldn't be so apparent.
hahaha i have never read such ridiculous crap in my life> take heed from what the person in the cadets has wrote. I cant believe you have wrote what you did!!! Now your sayin well done to the lord mayor it doesnt friggin stop the lord mayor shakin hands with ira killers (terrorists) do they not do the same sort of things that the british army do? British army wether u like it or not our fightin for our freedom for urs and mine only use sectarian nationalists cant see past your hatred!!!!!! Jude u ought to be ashamed of urself!
ReplyDeleteWhy doesn't the Duke present his own awards, like the Presidential Gaisce awards? When you think of it, he signs an award, with his stamp and dispatches them to subjects to present on his behalf. In the case being discussed a republican gives them out on his behalf. If they mean so much why doesn't the Duke get up of his pampered ass and give them out himself? To make this non-divisive let the Belfast's Mayor give out his own awards.
ReplyDeletehe is the mayor of the entire city not one section of it. As much as I dislike the British army, do not support Sinn Fein and come from a republican background, I think he did right to apologise. Painful but necessary.
ReplyDeleteI think Our Friend anon above is so concerned with replica guns and children' camouflage play clothes that he should organise all those with similar concerns to picket any toy shops selling them
ReplyDeletePJD
ReplyDeleteSo to be clear then;
adults dressing children in paramilitary outfits and replica weapons harmless
evil british army sponsoring outdoor pursuits very harmful.
Is that about it?
as was said earlier-its about ironing shirts,learning skills-th award is univerasl to the Boys and Girl brigades-this ar,se of a myor tried to make it a political point score.
ReplyDeleteHe WILL be removed
Hi, I know this story is a few days old though I have a few comments to make about this article:
ReplyDeleteNow where to begin? Maybe with your inaccurate description of the Army Cadet Force and effectively stating that this teenager is being forced into the British Army where they will become some sort of blood-thirsty villain touring around various countries killing innocents?? Also I do not understand why you have included the Trident Submarine Nuclear Defence Programme because it’s like you are also stating that these young Cadets are the cause of Britain’s extensive expenditures. For some unknown reason certain people are turning events such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s award scheme into a political matter which it was NOT designed for… I am in fact an Army Cadet in Northern Ireland and find it amusing that people who have a disliking for the British Army/Government just seem to exaggerate the truth or invent crazy ideas because we have never been taught on how to kill other humans using “guns, grenades, tanks, rockets or bombs.” Yes we are taught how to properly fire the L98A2 Cadet General Purpose Rifle and how to look after it however the shooting process is always in a controlled environment, a military firing range, as we fire at circular targets in which no-way represents a human figure. We are also never pressurised into or forced into joining the Armed Forces as it is your own personal decision just like around 8,500 Irish men and woman who are currently serving in the Irish Army. I would finally just like to ask that is it the Cadet force in general you dislike or just the UK variant of the Army Cadets as there are Cadet Movements throughout the World and there is also the Royal Air Force Cadets and Royal Navy Cadets within the UK??
Pathetic, bigoted article. The lord mayor should be ashamed of himself. He is Lord Mayor to represent EVERYONE not just his own side. We really are a laughing sotck in this country.
ReplyDeletenice idea, thanks for sharing
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