<p>A little food for thought for the CC discusssions of religion, fanaticism, and terrorism:
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<p>Now that’s some impressive religious tolerance. If you can’t convert’em , kill 'em. Go Big Orange. Go Sinn Fein. All for the Undertaker. Win. Win. Win.</p>
<p>This is really not an easy one to explain folks. Now Baptists versus Methodists, I can see that.</p>
<p>Count me out of this one. I know next to zero about “the troubles.”</p>
<p>I can’t remember how far back but I did my best to explain the modern fighting to D as best I could. I never could get there with anything that made sense to her. She kept thinking about her friends of different faiths. </p>
<p>I then explained that some large part of it was economic and national. She thought of her freinds of different nationalities and SES’s. She still didn’t get there. </p>
<p>I think she may be on to something.</p>
<p>This is technically “peace” in NI. The “official” terrorists have disbanded, hence the setting up of this assembly. It’s only the “unofficial” terrorists who don’t agree… (If you look on BBC news NI there are pipe bombs and the like in NI almost everyday. It’s pretty much the norm).</p>
<p>Everything you say is true, cupcake but I’m betting the un-official pipe bombs would still sting like the dickens.</p>
<p>Thats what I mean. This “peace” is a complete joke. In other countries it would be described as civil war.</p>
<p>When you drive through Northern Ireland, every police station is enclosed by huge chain link fences. In Derry, the murals commemorating Bloody Sunday are haunting. The Orangemen’s headquarters has a huge chain netting to keep projectiles hurled from the Catholic bogside from damaging the building. The Protestant section has their own murals, very frightening depicting guns & masked terrorists. The curbs are painted in the Union Jack colors.</p>
<p>It’s not about religion or conversion. It’s about civil rights being withheld from Catholics. As their lot has improved, the leaders refuse to move on & continue to terrorize all those around them. Splinter groups of true fanatics branch off as the IRA moves begrudgingly toward diplomatic, civil discussions. So much of the population has moved on past the bitter division, it is remarkable that Sinn Fein & Paisley have power. But isn’t that the very definition of terrorism? Even a small group of true-believers can wreak havoc. </p>
<p>I was referring to an IRA terrorist once when I was corrected by an American man who I know generously funded IRA gunrunning. He said, “Terrorists? Don’t you mean freedom fighters?” I asked him if he’d still call them freedom fighters if his granddaughters were killed by one of their bombs left in a mailbox. Such a cowardly tactic.</p>
<p>When Catholics had not rights, a Michael Collins was needed. Remember Nelson Mandella’s terrorist roots? Sometimes violent uprising was the only way to gain equality. Once your cause has earned seats in Parliament, though, your voice will be heard without bombs. Gerry Adams hasn’t figured that one out yet.</p>