Please remember to tone the animosity down, and stick to the facts.

I'm still having a hard time figuring out what's the truth in this matter. Nathaniel Kahn directed and produced a 2003 film titled My Architect: A Son's Journey. The movie has a quote from Louis Kahn (the father) that goes something like this: "Everyone speaks the truth. It may be their truth, but nonetheless, it is the truth."

So, in this thread, we have various people expressing various conflicting truths about an event that took place a hundred years ago. Is it possible that there is truth in all these perspectives? I think so. Parliament passed an Irish Home Rule bill in 1914, and I'm sure many were surprised that the Irish would have an uprising (er, "Rising") in 1916. It's interesting to see that some people above were perturbed to see this event referred to as an "uprising." I would suspect that supporters saw it as a "Rising" (title case) and opponents as an "uprising" (lower case). Both terms are valid, within their particular perspectives.

And then I wonder what percentage of Irish people were satisfied with British rule. I've certainly heard many complaints here about the Irish government, particularly regarding its unholy alliance with the Catholic Church. According to posts from some Irish Mudcatters, the Irish government has been corrupt from the very beginning. Would Ireland have been better off as a semi-autonomous entity tied to the UK in the same way that Scotland is?

I would think that this centennial is a good opportunity for us all to examine the movement toward Irish independence with an open mind, learning the lessons that can be taught. I see no need to fight the battle again - but I can see great value in examining the event and learning from it.

When I worked as an intelligence analyst, I quickly learned that it is of utmost importance to learn to see things from the perspective of the opposition. Loyalty to one's own side may have some value, but I think a broader perspective is far more valuable.

And despite strong opinions to the contrary that are expressed here, I will continue to believe in the value of learning history from high-quality works of fiction. I read 4-6 nonfiction history books a year to balance things out, but fiction often gives me deeper insight.

-Joe-