Although it’s not an American issue at all, I want to commend the handling of the inquiry into the event of “Bloody Sunday” in Northern Ireland, 30 January, 1972 by Lord Saville and British Prime Minister David Cameron. In their willingness to take a stark look at those tragic events, and take responsibility as a government for an event that led to over thirty years of increased violence, they have shown a level of class and character that many American Politicians and certainly most of the Punditry should learn a lesson from. As a note to the “blame America first” crowd of RW bed-wetters? THIS is what “taking responsibility” actually looks like. Great Britain was fighting TERRORISM. Terrorism that was on their own land and threatening their citizens every day, having cost tens of thousands of lives. The IRA represented a far greater threat to the English Citizenry (which the Northern Irish are a part of) that Al-Qaeda has ever come close to being to the Americans. And yet, they have still shown the ability to take an objective look at their conduct and take responsibility for the atrocities committed in the course of “defending their sovereignty.” Compared to these two men, whom he would call “traitors” were they American and looking into our own actions in the “war of terror,” Sean Hannity is no more than a puddle of pig’s urine.
As a side note, about the English… Many years ago I was in Leicestershire on business, at a test lab supporting the validation of some of our products for the European Market. Their senior test engineer and I were getting on rather well. We shared an interest in European History and he took me to Bosworth Field, to the spot where King Richard III fell in battle against the soon-to-be King Henry VII; fascinating stuff. Anyway… at one point he asks me about the national origin of my NAME. I explained that while the name (and my family) is Italian, being adopted myself I have no Italian blood in me. He then me asked about my own heritage and when I replied, “Irish, French and German,” he almost spit out his drink, laughed out loud and said, “Wow, I’m surprised we even get along!” LOL
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Political Talk Show Host and Internet Radio Personality. My show, In My Humble Opinion, aired on RainbowRadio from 2015-2017, and has returned for 2021! Feel free to contact me at niceguy9418@usa.com. You can also friend me on Facebook.
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High marks to David Cameron for showing some integrity, no doubt about it. You would not see that from a conservative on this side of the pond.
ReplyDeleteIt was, however, almost unavoidable, as evidence that 14 innocent people had been murdered was overwhelming. Having lost (distant) relatives in the conflict, I followed the Saville proceedings closely.
A few points: "Tens of thousands" is far off the mark. In "Norn Iron" itself, slightly over 3,000 people, approximately 1,000 of them military or security professionals, were killed in the 30 years of the Troubles.
The RA's bombing campaign in England resulted in, according to British Army sources, 60 deaths. Most, not all but most, of those deaths were due to some mix-up: bombs going off pre-maturely, etc. The policy was to give warning, to avoid civilian casualties while creating economic and psychological havoc.
As far as "terrorism" goes, that is a very subjective word, and it usually has to do with the direction in which the ordinance is aimed.
It used to be defined as "the use of violence, or threat of violence, to attain a political goal." By that definition, of course, EVERY armed force is a terrorist organization. So, let's talk about targeting civilians. According to investigative journalist David Millar in his mid-90's book, DON'T MENTION THE WAR,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Mention-War-Northern-Propaganda/dp/0745308368
the British Army, the SAS (special ops) and MI5 operatives, along with the RUC Special Branch, killed uninvolved civilians slightly more than half the time, while innocent civilians comprised less than one third of the RA's victims. So, by that metric, who are the worse terrorists? And I haven't even mentioned the Loyalist terror groups, such as the Red Hand Commando, UFF, UVF, UDR, etc, who specialized in "soft targets." Their motto: "Yabba-dabba -do, any Taig'll do." Taig, from the Irish name Tadg (Tigue) is a pejorative meaning Catholic.
David Cameron makes a good start, I don't take that away from him. I will be really impressed if he takes the shackles off of an investigation into the murder of Catholic solicitor (lawyer) Patrick Finucane, a hit that evidence was facilitated by by the army and police, and was more than likely approved at Downing Street. Also the murder of Catholic solicitor Rosemary Nelson, who was killed, to the great joy of the RUC, a couple of days after testifying to the US Congress that her life had been threatened by the security forces, and after Congress approved a resolution asking the British PM to afford her special protection. Tony Blair really covered himself in glory on that one. He was shocked, SHOCKED, by her murder, which came as a complete surprise. Right.
I have a personal anecdote somewhat like yours. In 1967 (before the Troubles ignited) I was on leave in London. People were very nice to me, teaching me about their indecipherable money and so on. Sooner or later though, every conversation got around, as did yours, to my ethnicity. "You're American, of course, but you're not a red Indian, are you? Your people came from somewhere else, and by the look of you it's Europe; so where?" (I would have thought they'd get a hint from my name, Ireland being so close and all, but, well...) When I told them, the smiles got a little set, and a slight chill descended. Soon they'd be telling me about the Irish, in EXACTLY the same terms that racists over here were using (and still do, among themselves, I'm sure) to describe blacks.
"Not you over there, of course, but OUR Irish."
Finally, when I'd had enough, I'd point out JFK, two or three generations from a thatched cottage to the White House, and ask them what they thought the difference between me and "their" Irish was. When they punted, I'd tell them the difference was that in America, the law was not my enemy. They didn't enjoy that too much.
Sloppy editing. Should have said "evidence INDICATES" in the first sentence of paragraph four.
ReplyDeleteBTW: Is there a way to italicize, underline, or bold comments? Upper case always looks like shouting.
And THAT ladies and gentlement is what it looks like when I get taken to school! THANK GOD we're on the SAME SIDE!
ReplyDeleteIt's very true that sometimes I only have just enough enough infomration to be danegerous. LOL I DO know the words to about 3 dozen Irish Pub Tunes and Celtics folk songs though!
Thank you for that incredibly informative comment!
Oh we're of to Dublin...
...in the Green, in the Green...
Thanks Eddie. To paraphrase Faramir in The (book) Two Towers, praise from the praiseworthy is a great gift.
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