| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 344.1 | Unfree | FLOCON::AUNGIER | Bac/Imagine I will be here all night | Wed Mar 16 1988 16:20 | 8 |
| 344.3 | in the name of Christ | USAT03::MICHAEL | Irish Wench conaigh | Fri Mar 18 1988 19:07 | 8 |
| We heard... via news, once again we seem to find ourselves wondering
why.. we also heard a priest cry "MURDERERS" why not just pass out
guns before mass.
The wench weeps.
|
| 344.4 | No end in sight? | MCIS2::HARDY | What, no wiseacre comment? | Wed Mar 23 1988 22:39 | 23 |
|
It saddens us all to see the Irish people not only victimized
by the British all these centuries, but to see them still victimized
by their own brothers and sisters among both IRA and Protestant
extremists and terrorists. As we will probably see from the most
recent incidents involving the murders of two British soldiers and
one Ulster constable, the cycle of violence and bloodshed will
continue, especially as the British are well-known for their long-
term vengefulness, and incidents like this simply reinforce their
committment to remain in Northern Ireland indefinitely, exacting
whatever measure of police and counter-terrorist control they see
fit to exact.
What a terrible tragedy it is that this mess seemingly has no end
in sight, and the innocent suffer most of all...May God have mercy
on all our suffering sisters and brothers in Ireland, and on the
souls of all the victims of hate and bloodshed, Irish, British,
Catholic and Protestant...
Dave
(with ancestors and
living family of Irish, Scottish, English, American
Indian, Catholic, Anglican, and Quaker heritage)
|
| 344.5 | No. No end in sight :-( | TYNE::BOYLE | Uilleann Pipers do it on their knees | Thu Mar 24 1988 11:20 | 24 |
| The perpetrators of the violence on both sides are terrorists -
members of organisations with affiliations to other such groups
throughout the world. They preach murder anarchy and hatred and
should be prepared to take the consequences of their actions. It
sickens me to see such people eulogised from time to time in this
conference. Anyone who condones or supports their atrocities are
as guilty as they.
The British army in the North of Ireland is there to keep the
two factions apart. It is disciplined, controlled and restrained
(mostly) in the face of severe provocation, and hatred whipped up
by the terrorists. Compare them with the Israeli army in the West
Bank and the police in South Africa.
The terrorists derive their support from intimidation of their
own people and from romantic idealists safely divorced from the
realities of living with the conflict. Until that support is withdrawn
the troops will have to stay there and there will never be an
atmosphere in which a just solution can be sought.
I am a Hiberniaphile (or whatever the 'phile is), have friends
in both the North and South and visit them regularly. I love Irish
culture music and people and support the goal of a united Ireland
- the peaceful way.
John Boyle (second generation Irish/English)
|
| 344.6 | Community support of terrorism | MCIS2::HARDY | What, no wiseacre comment? | Fri Mar 25 1988 02:40 | 28 |
|
In reply to .5, I couldn't agree more with the points expressed
by John; I would add that much as the British position has been
denigrated in this conference and elsewhere as so much propaganda,
it certainly appears to me that without them, there would be a
Lebanese-style bloodbath, with the result being a war of all against
all, and the probable eventual winners being the well-armed Protestant
majority...
I would further add that the only way the terrorists can continue
to exist is through the support and connivance of the local
communities. When Catholics and Protestants have driven these savages
from their midst, the British Army can go back to England and Irish
mothers and children can continue the work together across religious
and political barriers that some of them have so heroically begun.
It does not help that some poor, deluded American saps are continuing
to finance bullets and explosives that eventually wind up hurting
innocents, as well as "military targets"...It's kind of sad to see
so many Americans supporting so-called "revolutionary" movements
that visit so much suffering and destruction on the peoples of other
countries like Ireland, South Africa, and the West Bank, especially
when these movements are financed, controlled, and supplied by Marxist-
Leninist states who have every intention of expansion and eventual
world domination. What is ironic is that these same blind Americans
would probably be among the first victims of totalitarian firing
squads if their leftist heroes and comrades ever do come to power
here...we are living in very dangerous times...
Dave
|
| 344.7 | Phased pullout may be in the near future | XCUSME::KING | MKO1-1/C34 DTN: 264.5142 | Fri Mar 25 1988 05:29 | 12 |
| Good point Dave!!
Anybody think the British will start a phased pullout of Northern
Ireland similar to the one in Hong Kong? I think the British government is
beginning to realize that they are not very welcome there, and that
they look pretty foolish clinging onto Ulster. The U.S. State
Departmant has advised them to return Northern Ireland to The Republic!
Lets all hope the end to all this bloodshed is near. Thatcher ought
to swallow her pride and recall the troups.
Bryan
|
| 344.8 | All that glitters is not gold. | GAOV08::MHUGHES | | Fri Mar 25 1988 06:35 | 22 |
| Leaprechauns have an approach.
Britain is NOT there to keep the factions apart (that is the official
line peddled to the media). If that was true Britain would NOT have
vetoed international debate by calling this an "internal" problem
for the British gvmt. Britain has invoked their powers of veto at
the UN for this reason. (1969).
Britain is there to keep part of Ireland in the U.K. The British
forces co-operate with sectarian police and territorial army forces.
Britain adopts the approach that Ireland is NOT capable of working
out its own problems and they can then use "the white man's burden"
approach to the issue.
Please do not be so naieve as to believe everything that the British
put out about Ireland. They intimidate and imprision Irish travellers
exclusively under their Laws, and make no apologies for it. They
charge less than 3% of those stopped later, and they find less than
1% guilty. Yet they continue this harrassment. We do not like it,
as it creaates recruits for the terrorists.
SNake will give you a different picture.
|
| 344.9 | Distorted Information | DPDMAI::OREILLY | Oh Really?.........No, O'Reilly! | Fri Mar 25 1988 17:40 | 27 |
|
Good Point, Snake!
America has the same problem as Britian with a manipulating media
who can create an image of a country that isn't true, e.g. Ireland,
Northern Ireland; or influence elections, etc.
It's frustrating. Most of us want to know the truth or should I
say: be allowed to see the "whole of the information". So, we attempt
to defeat the influence of the press upon us by seeking the
information. Unfortunately, we also have jobs to do, etc., and
can't spend all our time seeking unbiased information.
I have developed a very bad image of all journalists based on what
I have seen distorted by them.
Obviously, Politics can and does distort the information all over
the world.
Re: .6,.7 I would like to find these Americans providing money and
arms. I don't need or want the arms, but I know many (including
myself) who could always use the money!
JO'R_who_will_probably_be_paying_off_Irish_vacations_the_rest_of_his_life!
|
| 344.10 | War or peace? | CHEFS::TUDORK | | Sat Mar 26 1988 13:32 | 10 |
| Far be it from me to criticise US policy, after all I am a resident
of the UK.
However, since we agree that the press doesn't tell us the whole
story wouldn't it be more to the point to consider what a British
withdrawal would do for Northern Ireland (not to mention the British
who can't really enjoy having their soldiers killed in scenes like
last Saturday).
Depends which side of the story you believe.
|