You made some very valid points there beachcomber. when you consider 27 full and part time members of the security forces were charged and jailed for the murders of innocent nationalists/Catholics. Now that's not counting those murdered by the British army including all the children they killed with plastic or rubber bullets.

When someone with reason such as yourself looks into the situation over here, you can see the roots of the problem. We did not start this, but we did rise to defend our families. Expect the usual chants from Keith, about bombs in litter bins and Warington, sometimes think he must have been here that day because he recalls it that often.

I have attended the funerals of children who were shot at point blank range with rubber bullets by the soldiers who wore the same uniform you will find him wearing in the members photos section here. Never heard him condemn that.

Anyway having lived here all my life and been subjected to the Orange jackboot in employment application and saw my fathers business burnt out because we were a catholic family living in a Protestant area when the troubles started. When the police arrived they told my father " well what you expect" When my father pointed to the ones standing yards away from him and told them they did it, he was told, sorry we didn't see it and doubt any witnesses will come forward either.

Simple as this, we would never have gained anything if it wasn't for the armed struggle. The unionists had the power and the blessing to keep nationalists in the North of Ireland under heel. The IRA campaign brought the torture to the table. I use the word torture because any catholic who lived here in the 1960's will know it as nothing else. We were not allowed to vote, we were not allowed to own houses, we were refused work because the then prime minister in Northern Ireland told protestants not to employ catholics.

Listening to the like of Keith here beachcomber rabbit on about the honour of meeting great men who served in the Paras or who the IRA killed in attacks should really just be ignored, it's rabble to me, he knows f... all about it. He said recently he was here to ensure that Divis Sweeney would never get an easy ride here ! What is supposed to make me rethink my position ?

My position is very clear and simple to understand. We fought for what we have today. Do I support the peace process ? Yes 100%. Did I support the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Yes I did and I will honour and defend every last volunteer to the day I die.


Thanks for your understanding beachcomber.