Important point there, Divis.

I was at a party once that included many of my fellow Hibernians. This one fella was ranting on and on about "we shot down a helicopter" and talking about "we got a Brit soldier". Mind you he was sitting nicely on a deck in Michigan, safely stuffing his face with bbq chicken, and had never seen armed conflict anywhere but in his fucking fantasies. I got overwhelmed by my anger at his ignorance, (and maybe a bit of stout) and grabbed him by the throat. I asked him what the hell he knew about killing a man??? I was screaming at him, and wanting to know if he realized those "Brits" had sisters, brothers, Mothers, and Fathers. My politics are unequivocal on this matter, but I tire of those that demonize the other side for the sole purpose of making killing them justifiable. After my own experiences I decided that no one would be allowed to do that anymore. It made me challenge my own views with a much more critical set of criteria. There is no doubt that I am a very strong Republican supporter. I have spent my life advocating from this side for that. But such ignorance about the tragedy of young men going into perilous and deadly circumstances at the behest of old men, and why they do it, must not be tolerated. It makes violence and death easy and that must be stopped.

I believe that the peace is finally well on its way. I believe the end is near and it means that all of the Irish of the North of Ireland will live in one country. All sides have suffered through this time, and to deny that would only prolong the agony of a people. It will only delay the peace that the children of the North of Ireland so richly deserve. Up the Republic.

Mick