Up4it

Thought log
2017-03-22 21:45:30 (UTC)

The late Martin McGuinness

The death of Martin McGuinness has generated a big media response on these islands. Although I didn't agree with him on a range of issues. I do think that he was a man who came to see that Armed Struggle as it is called was futile.
The whole United Ireland bullshit is so tragic and has wasted so many good people. I seriously could not give a flying fuck if Ireland is EVER again United. The whole concept is a crock of shit!

For all that I admire about McGuinness, I think he got stuck in the Unite Ireland mode early on in his life and although he was a very intelligent man with strong leadership skills he never really made that final leap that would have enabled him to see that the re-unification of Ireland as a single political entity was a complete load of ballocks.

What matters is that people are treated fairly. To be fair to McGuinness he was brought up in a City where people of his parents (and his own) religion (Roman Catholics) were treated like shit. This, of course, shaped the man he became. While he didn't have any great formal education he became Minister of Education in Northern Ireland. Apparently this was a job he excelled at.

The coverage last night had people who had relatives killed and wounded as a result of IRA violence, who could not forgive McGuiness. I'm sure if I had a similar experience I would feel the same.

In any case, there was never any justification for any violence by the IRA - ever. The Civil Right movement in Northern Ireland was a unifying movement in that it united all fair minded people to demand basic democracy and equality for catholics.

Martin McGuiness leadership will be missed in the coming weeks as Northern Ireland struggles to move forward and form a new Government.

His leadership skills will be sorely missed in the current political situation in Ireland.




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