Not Ready to Unite

Gerry Adams’ call to the men and women of the IRA to engage in internal discussion as to the merits of full immersion in the political process has been widely welcomed.

While this internal debate occurs, I’d like to take this opportunity as a concerned Republican to ask Adams and the Sinn Fein leadership, as well as the men and women of the IRA to reflect fully on whether the Good Friday Agreement (if it ever functions again) is in alignment with their political objectives, and is it the vehicle that can deliver the type of Ireland they and their dead comrades sacrificed so much for?

I may be 6,000 miles from the Newtownards Road and not quite grasping the emotions of the Unionist people the way I did when I worked alongside them for a few years in Loyalist East Belfast in the 1980s, but I have not seen or heard one conciliatory statement towards the idea of a united Ireland from even the most moderate Unionist in the past 30 years.

In fact, the perception I have is that Unionists have become more, rather than less, determined to resist any change in the constitutional position of the six counties. 

Let’s face it, the spirit of reconciliation, cultural and mutual respect for the Irish identity from Unionists is best illustrated by the sectarianism and discrimination that still exists in city and county councils all over the north. For God’s sake, Unionists won’t even fund the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Belfast because a few Tricolors might be displayed.

How does this reconcile with the myopic vision of a united Ireland in 2016? Maybe the internal discussion amongst Republicans could focus on a few realities.

There is a perception that Unionism is in crisis. Republicans are quick to quote James Molyneaux when he said that the IRA ceasefire is the most destabilizing thing to happen to the union. That is wishful thinking and I believe the evidence contradicts that statement.

The anti-agreement Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) have effectively scuppered the Good Friday Agreement like they promised, and it doesn’t look like it is ever coming back. The so-called DUP pragmatist, Peter Robinson, has reportedly said that 25 years exclusion of Sinn Fein is on the cards. 

Ian Paisley recently declared that “ Ulster is ours! Ulster will remain ours!” Maybe I am being a wee bit pessimistic, but that doesn’t sound like a leader preparing his people for a free, independent United Ireland.

The union has rarely appeared stronger. Direct British rule suits Unionists. They much prefer it to the Good Friday Agreement which has been a disaster from its inception. 

Unionists are getting what they wanted most out of the Good Friday Agreement, the defeat and virtual end of the IRA. With the end of the IRA, the greatest opposition to the union will finally have been eroded. The union has never been secure while the natives had a pike in the thatch.

This ongoing debate within republicanism is extremely important and should not be hurried to curry favor with those advocates whose seemingly only desire is to have the IRA served up on a platter.

It is to be hoped that a concerted effort will be made to explore all political ideas and implications of the current Republican project during this debate, otherwise I contend that by 2016, it won’t be a republic we will be celebrating but the advent of another group of radicals ready to resume the age old struggle for Irish unity and independence.

Roy McCann. San Diego Irish Northern Aid
San Diego, California

Loyalists Must Disband

So everyone is unanimous that the IRA should disband now. Well, maybe they should. Then again, maybe they should not.

Whatever the case, somewhere in the most recent deluge of diatribes against Sinn Fein and the IRA, it has once again been forgotten that the IRA is not the only paramilitary group in Northern Ireland.

Of course, to hear Bertie Ahern, American politicians, the English, Ian Paisley, John Spain and the McCartney sisters tell it, the IRA are the only ones who should disband.

Just out of curiosity, how many “Loyalist” paramilitary groups exist in Northern Ireland today? How many acts of violence and criminality have been perpetrated by them in the past 10 years? Has there been any mention, by anyone, of them disbanding?

I do not intend to either condemn or justify the IRA. However, there is something despicable about people who say the process in Northern Ireland cannot continue without the disbandment of the IRA, but don’t mind Unionist political parties having their own private armies.

Why is it okay for Loyalist paramilitaries to run around with weapons in hand and hatred of the Catholic Irish in their hearts?

Steven M. Rogan. Mineral Point, Missouri

Gaelic All Around

Poor letter writer Jerry Hoosier is going to suffer from a severe case of carsickness if he travels around the west of Ireland and along the coast. 

On Monday, March 28, the Irish government enacted a law that mandates all road signs and official maps in the west of Ireland be written in Gaelic and not the English language anymore. 

For the sake of his health and his wife’s peace of mind maybe Hoosier should stay out of the Republic of Ireland altogether. The Gaelic language is now being added to all the road signs and official maps in the north, south and eastern counties of the Republic. 

Kathy Callahan. Ridgefield, New Jersey

Hobbies Are Good

This is in response to Jerry Hoosier’s letter titled “Gaelic Language? Duh!” in the April 6-12 issue objecting to the study of languages such as Irish in school or even as a hobby. 

I have always felt that individuals were meant to be interested in different things. If we all had to be interested in the same things, we would all need to be expert in everything. 

Personally, I don’t have that much time or that many brain cells, so I celebrate anyone else picking up the slack in any subject that bores me stupid. 

I do suspect that this individual sees no need to exist for any knowledge of any subject that doesn’t interest him. It must be wonderful to be Hoosier. To be around him, well, maybe not so much.

However, given that Hoosier is the center of the universe, he probably exerts considerable gravitational pull, so it may be unavoidable. 

On a second point, in other countries small children learn more than one language as a matter of course. It’s a pity so many Americans don’t or can’t keep up. 

But there’s no reason to be quite so defensive about it. All the hobbyists I know are very pro-choice – if you don’t want to, you don’t have to. 

Go and pursue your own interests, Mr. Hoosier. And you might want to calm down a bit, before you hurt yourself. 

Judith Clancy. Minneapolis, Minnesota

Great Irish Stay

I returned from a spring trip to Ireland last week. My husband and I traveled all around Dublin and Kerry, and we had the time of our lives. 

It was our second visit to Ireland. I must say, the natives were wonderful and couldn’t have done much more to make our trip as enjoyable as possible.

I recall reading many articles and letters in the Irish Voice about anti-Americanism in Ireland around the time of the start of the Iraq war. Maybe that was true then, but we certainly saw no evidence of that during our trip.

I encourage Irish Americans to visit Ireland this summer for a great vacation and a wonderful time courtesy of the locals. We can’t wait to go back again next year!

Barbara O’Hara. Dayton, Ohio