I have an apology to make to the members of this forum for the fact that our squabbling has dominated what I believe to be an important subject and prevented others from taking part – for me it ends here.
I have stated what I believe to be the causes of the Bloody Sunday massacre of unarmed demonstrators by British troops in Derry and I believe the fact that the situation that caused the massacre remains unchanged makes it possible, even likely that such incidents could happen again. Keith, Terribus, anybody is perfectly at liberty to challenge anything I have said and produce evidence that I am wrong; should they choose not to do so doesn't in any way make me right or wrong, it just means my analysis goes unchallenged. It is not up to me to second-guess and select what people might or might not disagree with – that's up to them.   I believe what I have said is well documented, but I'm happy to look at alternative documentary evidence, should anybody care to produce it.
Nobody here has a right to tell us how we must discuss this subject and draw time-lines around it; ("we can't go there; that happened seven, twenty, thirty, ninety years ago). If they want that power they must apply for the job of forum adjudicator – as far as I'm concerned, the ones we've already got do a good enough job, despite the problems people like me give them.
Nuff sed on the squabble – sorry for my part in it!
As I understand it, Bloody Sunday happened because of the prevailing situation caused by the partitioning of six counties of Ireland 88 years ago. The threat of invasion it was introduced under, the manipulation of the border, giving the Unionists a majority, the consolidation of the already long-established inequality of the Catholic population, poor housing and employment opportunities and an unequal say in the running of the State meant that the new situation created a resentment from the beginning. The anti-Catholic riots in 1932 and 1936, the constant persecution of and discrimination against Catholics right up to the 1950s, the attacks on the Civil Rights marches in the sixties and the 20/30 years of bloody sectarian warfare in Ireland and mainland Britain that followed has led to the continuation of that resentment that has not been dissipated, and the present-day acceptance of the border creates a misleading picture of the situation. Visitors from Belfast and Derry, here in Clare for the music this week have told me that many Catholics or neutrals like myself in the position to do so, leave their homes around this time of year to avoid the menace of the parades. The fact that 'The Troubles' have not gone away is evidenced by the persistent aggressive behaviour of militant Unionists which manifests itself in massive intimidatory marches, particularly around this time of year. Proof enough of the aggressive nature of these marches is the constant demand by the organisers that they should be allowed to take place through Catholic areas. A particularly shameful example of Unionist aggression was the cowardly terrorising of Catholic schoolchildren at Holy Cross School in the Ardoyne seven years ago. Just how current the threat of violent trouble is is shown by the rioting on the streets of Belfast this week.
So unless people can prove otherwise, for me the problem still exists and can break out at any time. The British people are paying to maintain the fragile peace in partitioned Ireland and, should trouble break out again, it is they who will provide the cannon-fodder and the cash to force the lid back on it yet again.
As I have repeated throughout, if the border is to remain it must do so on the basis, and, if possible, with the full agreement of all concerned, the majority of the British population, the people of the other twenty-six counties, and the population of the six counties. The decision has to be taken under normal circumstances and not with the threat of further violence and bloodshed, as it has in the past, otherwise it will have no lasting validity.
If the overall decision is to keep the border then some other way has to be found to establish a lasting peace – none has been found yet and there is little evidence of one being suggested on this thread so far.
Jim Carroll
Up-to-date news; Five dissident Republicans were arrested in County Louth yesterday; they were caught smuggling explosives across the border into the six counties.