Northern Ireland #3 Craic, conflict and current affairs

[imaginedragon83]

Definitely feels like things are becoming very unstable. Horrible. I'm not sure if I'm noticing it more because I'm using/reading SM like twitter or if it's always been like this and I was oblivious.

What worries me is the troubles really took hold during the 70s and 80s because we were in poverty, unemployment was high. Paramilitaries took advantage of young directionless lads who had no prospects and money. A Tory government who had no interest in us whatsoever and leaders closer to home who only led people in the hatred and highlighted the divide with the "themmuns and yousins" attitude.
Sound familiar anyone?

 

[Justherefortittle]

What worries me is the troubles really took hold during the 70s and 80s because we were in poverty, unemployment was high. Paramilitaries took advantage of young directionless lads who had no prospects and money. A Tory government who had no interest in us whatsoever and leaders closer to home who only led people in the hatred and highlighted the divide with the "themmuns and yousins" attitude.
Sound familiar anyone?

Sounds scaringly familiar

and especially since all the remenants of terror weren’t got rid of when the opportunity was there.

 

[monga]

It’s always been an unstable peace, I can’t wait to see what the coming months will bring.

 

[monga]

This is what we’re supposed to bow down to

 

[pommynoir]

Does anyone on here celebrate the 12th? I’d love to hear a different side of it all.

I found out a friend of mines dads/brother are in the OO yesterday by watching her private snapchat story. A lot of anti Irish chanting going on, I think she forgot to remove me

 

[pommynoir]

 

[Justherefortittle]

We often say everyone can lively sort of harmoniously for 51 weeks of the year and then this is the week true colours came out.

I live in a mixed area, the nationalists are nationalist and the unionists are poorly shaded loyalists who want all the benefits a mixed area brings but without true desire to live harmoniously with their catholic or ethnic neighbours.

And its evident from the erection of UnionJacks on lamp posts weeks ago and not one elected representative does a thing about it.

To speak directly about it would make you a target, although for some reason then did skip the lamppost right outside my driveway this year.

If people want erect flags let them do it on their own homes not marking out territory like dogs pissing up lampposts. And there was a fair amount of pissing up walls going on yesterday.


Got to the point now that we just laugh at the insecurity of them all that it takes a bed sheet flag flying from a lamppost to make them feel more British. A flag they have no respect for or they wouldn’t let it hang to its in tatters.

I’m Irish To my core and it’s in my heart and my very being I don’t need to festoon tricolours about me.

It’s all merely a smoke screen and yesterday they were all out in force all the

 

[monga]

Nobody else would put up with being hemmed in and subjected to the hate we have to put up with year after year if the politicians had anything in them they would insist the OO is disbanded and the hate fests are no more, make that their protocol for the decent folk that live on these isles.

KKKulture is very apt

That bin will go down in history

 

[Justherefortittle]

So true @monga

and they have the cheek to repeatedly call out the sin’s of the Catholic Church when paedos are rampant in their ranks and their Kulture has such a sexual misappropriation and substance abuse at its core.

 

[monga]

Naomi is a Protestant

 

[BigMavis]

Only read this on FB so could be nonsense but a few people stated the family of the man who died building the bonfire intend to sue the council. Which may bring in legislation and restrictions so at least people will be safe/safer.
I don't think everyone who celebrates the twelfth engages in hateful behaviour, it's my understanding there is a good deal of snobbery surrounding bonfires etc. Some areas (country) just have their bands and they take great pride in them, similar to GAA clubs, it's hard to separate burning effigies and slogans from that though, especially when they're celebrating the same occasion. I also find people are somewhat embarrassed about their association with twelfth as it's getting harder to separate the two. When I say embarrassed I mean sheepish when speaking to those who don't share their values or whatever, could be different when in a safe space. I do think a lot of folk here are starting to think this is unacceptable whatever side they perceive themselves to be on but its a fine line and to try and curtail parades etc could very quickly lead to bad things.

 

[monga]

Only read this on FB so could be nonsense but a few people stated the family of the man who died building the bonfire intend to sue the council. Which may bring in legislation and restrictions so at least people will be safe/safer.
I don't think everyone who celebrates the twelfth engages in hateful behaviour, it's my understanding there is a good deal of snobbery surrounding bonfires etc. Some areas (country) just have their bands and they take great pride in them, similar to GAA clubs, it's hard to separate burning effigies and slogans from that though, especially when they're celebrating the same occasion. I also find people are somewhat embarrassed about their association with twelfth as it's getting harder to separate the two. When I say embarrassed I mean sheepish when speaking to those who don't share their values or whatever, could be different when in a safe space. I do think a lot of folk here are starting to think this is unacceptable whatever side they perceive themselves to be on but its a fine line and to try and curtail parades etc could very quickly lead to bad things.

I was thinking they were going to make a claim when they were putting it out the council were warned about health and safety days before he fell, what a fuckin joke if they get anything a grown man climbing 50ft of his own accord on the plus that’ll finish them being able to build on council land no insurance company will entertain them ..,Bad things are coming regardless, I think people have had enough.

 

[Justherefortittle]

Only read this on FB so could be nonsense but a few people stated the family of the man who died building the bonfire intend to sue the council. Which may bring in legislation and restrictions so at least people will be safe/safer.
I don't think everyone who celebrates the twelfth engages in hateful behaviour, it's my understanding there is a good deal of snobbery surrounding bonfires etc. Some areas (country) just have their bands and they take great pride in them, similar to GAA clubs, it's hard to separate burning effigies and slogans from that though, especially when they're celebrating the same occasion. I also find people are somewhat embarrassed about their association with twelfth as it's getting harder to separate the two. When I say embarrassed I mean sheepish when speaking to those who don't share their values or whatever, could be different when in a safe space. I do think a lot of folk here are starting to think this is unacceptable whatever side they perceive themselves to be on but its a fine line and to try and curtail parades etc could very quickly lead to bad things.

Well if they choose to sue anyone it should be their bonfire organising committee or make use of the GFM … let all his fellow countrymen pay the price not the tax payer and funds that are already stretched.

If the council they are now potentially going to sue had stopped all these bonfires in the first place then events like this wouldn’t happen but the local people and politicians wouldn’t stand for that.

And I agree in country areas it’s smaller it’s all about the local church band and community. I can’t imagine many of these Billy Boys attended any religious ceremonies with their fellow more staunch brethren.

it’s the association particularly in large built up areas with loyalist connections and hate.

Was out in the garden earlier hanging out washing and the grandson of the local loyalist heavy around the corner is merrily marching around in circles attempting to sing we are the Billy Boys … a child aged 2-3 who can’t even talk properly. Now that really is hate breeding hate that no society should have to tolerate.

 

[monga]

Well if they choose to sue anyone it should be their bonfire organising committee or make use of the GFM … let all his fellow countrymen pay the price not the tax payer and funds that are already stretched.

If the council they are now potentially going to sue had stopped all these bonfires in the first place then events like this wouldn’t happen but the local people and politicians wouldn’t stand for that.

And I agree in country areas it’s smaller it’s all about the local church band and community. I can’t imagine many of these Billy Boys attended any religious ceremonies with their fellow more staunch brethren.

it’s the association particularly in large built up areas with loyalist connections and hate.

Was out in the garden earlier hanging out washing and the grandson of the local loyalist heavy around the corner is merrily marching around in circles attempting to sing we are the Billy Boys … a child aged 2-3 who can’t even talk properly. Now that really is hate breeding hate that no society should have to tolerate.

It’s the tax payer funding the clean up and that’s too much ,could be better spent.

 

[BigMavis]

Those images have really shocked me, we're lucky to have strong women in politics here and we have a history of that which we should be proud of.
I'd expect Arlene to speak about this but she probably can't because of her associations with the celebrations yesterday and that is the problem, how does anyone separate oranges from oranges even if one is actually a bleeping lemon dressed up in an orange peel. Embarrassment, shame, trying to pretend its not there. We know its not everyone but unless everyone speaks out it will always be an issue.

 

[monga]

Naomi’s taking it further although I wouldn’t hold me breath at them doing anything

 

[BigMavis]

They'll have to do something, if this isn't a hate crime then I don't know what is. These are not effigies of some long dead figure I've never heard tell of in my life, these are our representatives, with families and lives. It's shocking. I'm appalled.
The people doing this are being used and have been used for decades, keep them uneducated and poor and the people responsible will hide from this. It's not right.

 

[monga]

Surprise! Surprise! duck all done about the actual hate crimes taking place

 

[Rosieray]

In no other country in the world would this be allowed, can you imagine if it was black people, or Muslim people or Asian people's pictures being burned in england for example. You would be arrested for hatecrime. Or even simply if catholics had bonfires and burned pictures of protestants? There would be complete uproar. The marching and bands I can understand, but burning flags and pictures of people is not bleeping culture.

 

[Emmelina Ball]

In no other country in the world would this be allowed, can you imagine if it was black people, or Muslim people or Asian people's pictures being burned in england for example. You would be arrested for hatecrime. Or even simply if catholics had bonfires and burned pictures of protestants? There would be complete uproar. The marching and bands I can understand, but burning flags and pictures of people is not bleeping culture.

They do. It happens in both Catholic and Protestant areas unfortunately. All of it is wrong. Here are just a few examples from last years nationalist bonfires in August. I’ve no doubt we’ll see them again in a few weeks time.

The majority of people in both communities want to celebrate their culture in a way that doesn’t offend one another. The majority go out to have a good time and enjoy themselves not to incite hatred. As we’ve seen over the past couple of days there are some very bitter people among us. It would be wrong to tar entire communities as being that way based on the actions of few.

Those people who burned the flags on the falls do not represent everyone in the falls area. Those people who hung the effigies in carrick are not representative of everyone in carrick. The sad thing is there are a handful of evil people who live in the past in these areas and further afield with hate being the only thing they know and have to offer and worse that they breed it into their children so the cycle repeats.

The largest bonfire at this years celebrations had no sectarianism or hate attached to it. The committee who run and organise that areas celebrations has 3 catholic board members so of course they aren’t going to seek to offend any of them - they’re involved in the planning. The DJ who played that night was a catholic and boasted of how amazing a time it was at his first 11th night celebration. People came from all over to see it. That is culture. Those burning Irish flags and polling cards is not culture and not something any right thinking person would call culture.