I am not an expert either. I have never been there and all I know is what my father told me. He did hard news from there and did manage to write both sides but what he told me was this -
that if there was work, the Protestants got it always, that if there was food, the Protestants got it always, that if there was anything to be had but starvation the Protestants wrung every drop from it before tossing the remaining rags to the Catholics. The potato famine was nothing less than genocide. But. In the end these are centuries-old grievances. And you cannot keep killing people. The Protestants now in Northern Ireland have lived there for centuries. I think perhaps the IRA can be compared to the AFL-CIO, an organization that did a lot of good but in the end, you cannot kill people, when you become the mafia, you are just as wrong? I am aware that the Irish are often scornful of people who don't live their taking about armies of occupation. I think that when the Protestants stone little girls on their way to school, this is wrong. When someone tries to stop this by thuggery and terror he is wrong too. That is what I think. Only 10% in the north are catholic? Ummm... no. I don't know the numbers, but it's more than that, especially in the Shankhill. I have no information on any anti-Semitism, but the Irish are no more perfect than anyone else. But the reason I bring Ireland up is that for a long time it was like this, the British were there to keep the peace and were being shot at. The Catholics saw them as enabling the Protestants, the Protestants saw them as protecting terrorists from collecting their due. And *everyone* knew someone who had been unjustly killed. http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/bibdbs/pelaschiar3.htm And yet and still the people who live their have managed to come to a truce. That is all I am saying. On 8/17/05, Sam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I guess I should add that's my limited view of the subject. I'm in no > way trying to imply I'm an expert, just have a lot of friends from > Ireland. > > On 8/17/05, Sam wrote: > > Ah yes Northern Ireland. > > Irish both the North and the South will probably always look at the > > British with scorn and rightfully so. But that's history and they know > > it. A lot in the South wish the Protestants would get up and leave but > > most realize it's too late. Most are now born there. Problem I > > remember with the North was only 10% were Catholic so all elected and > > appointed positions went to the Protestant majority. They want > > representation but how do you do it fairly? I remember polls in the > > late 80's showed most Catholics in the North were satisfied with the > > Protestant leadership and wanted the IRA to stop the terror but were > > afraid to speak out against them. I know in NYC they were afraid to > > talk about the IRA out loud. Even when they come around with their > > fake raffles people would give money only out of fear. These are the > > Irish in NY I'm talking about not Irish-Americans (they only know > > about St. Paddy's day :). > > > > So what I'm trying to say is the Irish would love for the British to > > leave but most never wanted or supported terror. Like the > > Palestinians, the terror was caused by a small group of people. > > Unfortunately with the Palestinians the hate groups have the control > > and are influencing the masses. > > > > While we're on the subject, when Israel became a State and was > > attacked, a lot of Irish Soldiers went to fight for them. When the war > > ended and they asked Israel to send them help for their war Israel > > said they have no trouble fighting for them on the battlefield but > > would not help with terrorism. The propaganda machines turned that > > into "We helped Israel and they turned their backs on us" meaning > > there's still a fair amount of anti-Semitism amongst the uninformed in > > Ireland. I guess it's like any form of racism, it mainly exists with > > the less informed. > > > > Next topic, let's talk about why people in Ireland don't know what > > corned beef is :) > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Purchase Contribute 3 from House of Fusion, a Macromedia Authorized Affiliate and support the CF community. http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=53 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:170177 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
