If the Lord Mayor of Belfast got a jostling yesterday, the DUP gave itself a thorough kicking.
Two parks, two reactions. At Dunville Park sunshine, the Lord Mayor sliding down the chute, Nelson McCausland and Gavin Robinson standing by as people listened, applauded, went about their normal business and youngsters enjoyed their play. At Woodvale Park, a vociferous knot of people, clutching their glossy placards telling ‘Miller’ he wasn’t wanted there; the PSNI officers trying to form a human chain to protect the Lord Mayor; a melée as the manipulated knot pressed in, shouted abuse, aimed kicks and punches, leaving the Lord Mayor and eight PSNI officers in need of hospital treatment.
There are two terrible temptations. One is to focus on the knot of abusers and kickers; the other is to forget about the unionist politicians. The abusers and kickers share...well, not a lot, really, in the literal sense. Their traditional self-concept as superior to their Catholic neighbours has slipped away, along with jobs and the possibility of a life where they have a representative voice in the world of officialdom. The temptation - and I’ve yielded to it myself - is to see them as violent thugs, full stop.
That’s a mistake. Why did McCausland and Robinson receive a civilized reception in Dunville Park? Because the republican leadership had persuaded the people there that peaceful means are the best to follow, that bridging the chasm between communities makes more sense than attacks on fellow-Irishmen and women. Why did Mairtin O Muilleoir receive a violent reception at Woodvale? Because the unionist leadership has seen fit to let its people remain mired in the past, has in fact encouraged them to see moves towards equality as an attack on their ‘culture’. The DUP’s reaction to the attack, where they blamed the victim, said it all.
So what are we left with? In the Shankill, a people whose leaders have left them stuck in the sludge of yesteryear, have encouraged them in attitudes that end with shouted platitudes and mindless attacks.
Since we’ve been on a football theme for some days now, let’s end on one. Yesterday the DUP scored a spectacular own goal and their club went into political administration.
Well said Jude. Next the radio onslaught agreeing with the attackers. Absolute disgrace!
ReplyDeleteWell said Jude.
ReplyDeleteWhy did Martin Miller receive a 'violent' reception at Woodvale (trifling compared to the violence his fellow travellers meted out to Belfast city centre with bombs for thirty years, but don't let republican revisionism get in your way)? Simply because Irish republicans have now played hardball over public spaces for more than 20 years. They have created the 'them' and 'us' society where the Orange Order are concerned. So don't bother to feign indignation - mixed in with your traditional republican smugness - when you find elements of the British MAJORITY in Northern Ireland returning the serve.
ReplyDeleteRepublicans and their hangers-on don't want Orangemen on 'their' streets? Unionists don't want Shinners in 'their' areas, either! Equality, anyone!?
God help us all! From under which rock did you crawl.
DeleteAnon 10:15 - thanks for your thoughts - most of which, alas, I disagree with.
ReplyDelete1. Martin Miller. Would you translate a Spaniard's name into English? Or a German's? I think courtesy requires calling people by their name.
2. You're right that republicans did bomb Belfast and other places. And loyalists did likewise. And the British army. It was a terrible, heart-breaking conflict. But it's over thank God - has been for more than 15 years. Whatever you thought of it, it's over.
3. There is a difference between an Orange band or bands marching into an area, and the elected Mayor of the city opening a play park. The contrast between the Mayor and Robinson and McCausland in Dunville and their reception in Woodvale couldn't be more stark.
I think it's time people here stopped trying to get one up on one another. Respect should be the key-word. And you can know what respect is by reversing the situation. If you want to bring an Orange band through an area mainly populated by republicans/nationalists, would you be happy for a republican band to march through a mainly unionist area? The presence of Robinson and McCausland at Dunville shows that nationalists/republicans accept the presence of legally-elected unionist politicians. The reaction at Woodvale, sadly, shows the unionist refusal to accept the presence of those they disagree with.
Anon 10:15 - Yeah, if it weren't for those pesky Republicans or Nationalists this would be a great wee place.
ReplyDeleteI liked the way you put the word violence in quotation marks beacsue Loyalism doesn't do violence, right?
I loved your whataboutery and was absolutely ecstatic with your "British MAJORITY" (and in caps too, which no doubt makes it more true).
Keep deluding yourself if you must - it's why you are losing every battle.
'I think courtesy requires calling people by their name'. And I think full acceptance of the Belfast Agreement requires republicans to call Northern Ireland by its proper name. So tell you what, when republicans have the decency to refer to the area over which they co-govern by its correct name, I'll do likewise.
ReplyDeleteThis pathetic attempt to equate the actions of the State with those of terrorists has become the hallmark of the new republican narrative. Thankfully, the statistics do not bear this out. Yes, HM Armed Forces had a few bad apples and made some mistakes and, in the case of Bloody Sunday, were totally unprofessional and reckless. However, to compare the actions of the Army with those of terrorists - on both sides - may give the usual republican crowd a frisson upon reading it, but it doesn't stand up to scrutiny.
As for the comparison between the Orange Order and a Provo apologist (which all elected Shinners are), the comparison is entirely legitimate. Separatists don't want anything that indicates Protestant culture marching in what they have claimed are 'their' areas. Fine! So a section of the Unionist population have decided they don't want representatives of a movement that tried to bomb them out of their rightful place in the UK in 'their' areas, either. Especially as Miller has been part of a group that wanted to permanently remove the national flag from Belfast City Hall.
'If it weren't for those pesky Republicans or Nationalists this would be a great wee place'. The one line in your somewhat feeble response I entirely concur with.
And how do you equate the actions of the French and Dutch terrorists against the German state in the 40's?
DeleteWow, love your sense of balance in favour of your "gods chosen people" and their great wee place. Wake up and smell the roses. Free your mind, the smell is quite lovely actually.
DeleteKeep it up, Jude. You certainly do get the chosen ones to react on here.
Comparing Loyalist areas to Catholic/Nationalist areas is like comparing apples to oranges as there is a distinct difference in the level of civility one might encounter in each area as was exhibited in the Woodvale area.It's been many years since the Peace Agreement was signed but the level of rancour and hostility towards Nationalist from loyalists has not diminished.There are areas in almost every town and village in Northern Ireland where Catholics would be jeopardising their safety/life just by venturing there alone whilst the same can't be said about Catholic areas.Just take Derry for example,it costs considerably less to rent or buy a house in certain areas of the Waterside because Catholics would genuinely feel under threat living in certain areas there. Many houses sit empty for long durations in these areas .Newbuildings,Tullyalley and Drumahoe are virtually no-go areas for Fenians,while Kilfennnan is locally known as Killfenian such is the hostility towards Catholics by loyalist gangs there,they should put up signs,"Fenians walk through here at your own risk". The same can't be said about the Derry side ,no one cares what you are as long as you respect your neighbour.The problem is everyone thinks one side is as bad as the other which was/is obviously not the case.Loyalists with their siege mentality act like people not comfortable in their own skin while Nationalists go about their daily business with the confidence that although things aren't exactly as they would like time is on their side.
ReplyDeleteTime is on their side? Oh pul-ease. We've been listening to this demographic timebomb rubbish for the better part of 40 years. Firstly, the number of Catholics is highly unlikely to exceed 50% of the total population (though it is entirely possible that they will exceed the number of enumerated Protestants at the next Census). Secondly, although the Catholic population increased by 1.4% between 2001 and 2011, the percentage of those from Eastern Europe accounted for 1.7% of the total population. That means that at least half - if not 2/3 - of the Catholic increase came from people from the A8 countries. Thirdly, Catholics are far more evenly spread in their constitutional choices even if they don't vote that way in the party system.
DeleteStill think the clock is ticking? You'll find it has quite a number of knackered springs in the mechanics.
Thanks for that reply which really sounds like wishful thinking on your part and glad to see at least you don't disagree with the rest of what I said which is indisputable anyway.
DeleteI'd be very very interested in just who organised the "protest" in Woodvale Park, just as I find William Humprie's failure to condemn the attack on the Mayor.
ReplyDeleteOh do me a favour! Tell that to the people of Cluan Place that abuts the Short Strand. The fact is that there is gross violence is a feature of both sides in working class areas. The big difference between the two is that when representatives of those who carried out or justified that violence stood in 'loyalist' areas, they received a derisory share of the vote. On the other hand, those who excuse, justify - and speak at 'commemorations' designed to pay homage to those who committed - violence, they receive the lion's share of the so-called nationalist vote. Come to think of it, Anonymous, there IS a difference between the two, but not in the way you think.
ReplyDeleteIf they represent those areas, as you call them, then why do they only get a derisory share of the vote, are you speaking of UUP, DUP, PUP, TUV etc?
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