What strikes me is that it's all a matter of religion, yet religion is not taking such a big place in people's lives anymore. Not as much as it used to. So what's the point fighting over it?
It feels like nobody really cares about the main reason for the fight, they just keep on fighting because they've done it for centuries...
That's my little apolitical, areligious view anyways.
Ha! Hasn't been about "religion" in years. That may be what started it, but now it's just and Us v Them thing. It's about ethnicity and racial identity, same as many other battles in the world today.
Only skimming, so may be repeating something others have said -
I have no problem with Unionists marching in general, if they are marching merely to commemorate, say, King Billy. I mean, he holds a place for them like Padraig Pearse or any of the 1916 volunteers do for us. Commemoration and celebration of their existence and their beliefs, yay!
*BUT* very little of Unionism is about that. Marches and protests and what not seem to primarily be about slamming non-Unionists, rubbing Catholic and nationalist faces in it, provoking anything they can. The biggest glory an Orange drummer can get is to burst his drum outside a Catholic church.
I am willing to respect them as soon as they are willing to respect us, and not an instant before.
So I do not think that it's a sad fact that an Orange march down here would cause ructions. I think it's a sad fact that they feel they have to beat us into the ground in order to raise themselves up and give themselves something to do. Their whole existence is based on denying us ours.
And the internment Marches aren't handled in exactly the same style? The marches for the Easter rising? I think you are mistaking the sentiments behind unionism for the sentiments behind loyalism. Unionism is about staying part of the Uk and the right to sef determination. Loyalism is much more triumphalist exclusive and to my mind spirefully motivated. Much the same way as I see the divide between Nationalism and Republicanism. One is a political viewpoint aiming for the non forceable reunification of Ireland the other advocates murdering people to force a change in sovereignity and embraces particularly nasty strain of them and us attitudes.
I think you are mistaking the sentiments behind unionism for the sentiments behind loyalism.That is a fair point. Mea culpa. However, that doesn't mean that all Unionists are merely proud of their Union heritage. The Rev. Ian Paisley would not deign to call himself a Loyalist, and yet he is one of the most bitter, hate-filled, bigoted individuals north of the Border
( ... )
Unionism is about staying part of the Uk and the right to sef determination.
Ok, sorry, only just noticed this line. I'm not sure how being "part of the UK" allows any more self-determination than being part of the Republic of Ireland, or part of any other nation. Unless you mean N.I. a fully-independent State in its own right?
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So what's the point fighting over it?
It feels like nobody really cares about the main reason for the fight, they just keep on fighting because they've done it for centuries...
That's my little apolitical, areligious view anyways.
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I have no problem with Unionists marching in general, if they are marching merely to commemorate, say, King Billy. I mean, he holds a place for them like Padraig Pearse or any of the 1916 volunteers do for us. Commemoration and celebration of their existence and their beliefs, yay!
*BUT* very little of Unionism is about that. Marches and protests and what not seem to primarily be about slamming non-Unionists, rubbing Catholic and nationalist faces in it, provoking anything they can. The biggest glory an Orange drummer can get is to burst his drum outside a Catholic church.
I am willing to respect them as soon as they are willing to respect us, and not an instant before.
So I do not think that it's a sad fact that an Orange march down here would cause ructions. I think it's a sad fact that they feel they have to beat us into the ground in order to raise themselves up and give themselves something to do. Their whole existence is based on denying us ours.
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Ok, sorry, only just noticed this line. I'm not sure how being "part of the UK" allows any more self-determination than being part of the Republic of Ireland, or part of any other nation. Unless you mean N.I. a fully-independent State in its own right?
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