Hi Ireland:
THe fact is that many of us learned here to discuss things without invevtive, the Troll has not yet done that. Many years ago we had some very interesting disscussions of ... for example the Joe Doherty case. I worked in the firm which defended him up through the Supreme Court here, and on the other side was, for example, a British Barrister and a fellow named GeorgeH, a patriotic Englishman. At times we got cross with each other, but in the best tradition of good pub life, we bought each other a round (virtual toast mind you) and we grew to understand each other better. Some trolls, not for political reasons, but for deep seated hurt, want to throw more fuel on the fire, I doupt that hurt really is the hurt that you and I know from the war in Ireland. We both, I am sure, lost people we know on opposite sides.
The future lies, not in denying the past, but on putting more faith in the future. To hear each others storries of pain, and shake hands and build a new future together.
I find the loudest voices for hate have not been personaly close to the danger. I was a photojournalist in Belfast in the mid seventies, and I know personaly the fear, the loss, the anger.
I have a dear friend, his mentor was Seamus Costello. He spent years in Long Kesh, and took part in the war as a young man. For a time he was in the US. Twice I was with him when he broke down in tears when American Irish where talking tough bull about Ireland. He said that there is no worce decision one is forced to make than to take up arms to defend your community, and anyone who took pleasure in it, or bragged about it, or thought it was glorious was not a human being.
Ireland will make its own future. Anyone who sets out on that road, now that it suits England to allow for change without guns, by standing in the way of honest talk from the heart, should spend a few nights reading the essays of James Connolly - they are not a part of the future.
Hang in here Ireland, and don't get goaded into anger. This vertual round is on me, so make mine a diet coke, what the hell, it is a vertual round, I will have a nice foamy Guiness, what's yers?
Slan agus beannact, Is mise, le meas, Larry