My mother's friend is an Irish catholic, living in Scotland. Her husband died so she decided she would go back to Belfast to stay with her sister as she had no other family in Scotland. Late one night, during the first week that she was back, the front door was almost battered down. She and her sister were terrified but her sister knew who it was. It was the men from the IRA demanding that they take part in a march in support of the IRA, or else their house would be burned to the ground. They marched.

Needless to say, this woman returned to Scotland, saying she could never live in such a country again.

The IRA used to be an honourable organisation but those days are gone. Now the cowards blow up pubs and steal money from their own people. Gerry Adams has blood on his hands. Yes, it is time to move forward and peace must reached even if it means dealing with terrorists. But people living in America or any other country shouldn't see the IRA (or the UDA for that matter)as heroes. They murder innocent people.

Perhaps it will be left to the women of Northern Ireland to make things right. Some years ago, the IRA had tried to throw a handicapped man over the edge of a building. As they taunted him, the women of the area came together and chased the attackers off.

All in all, there is fault on both sides. Nothing is gained by blaming the English for past events just as nothing is gained by blaming present day Americans for something their ancestors did. Most British people and Irish people want peace. The past should be learned from but then we should move on. Stop blaming and start looking forward.