Wednesday, June 29, 2005
What's in a name? Sadly, quite a bit...
I was saddened to hear of this story (hat-tip N.Irish Magyar) about a young couple from east Belfast whose home was petrol bombed in an overnight attack today which they believe was down to the fact that 19-year-old Roisin Orr has an Irish name. The woman is however a Protestant and has stated that "people should get the full facts before they start".
Speaking from their Braeside Grove home in the Braniel estate, both Mr Robinson and Ms Orr vowed they will not be intimidated from the home they have shared for 18 months.
Mr Robinson said: "It was about 2.45am when I was woken up with a banging on the front door. Then I heard this crashing and I told Roisin to stay upstairs.
"I went down the stairs and saw the state of the door. It looked like it had been hit twice with a hammer.
"They mustn't have been able to get in with a hammer so they threw the petrol bomb.
"A girl a couple of doors down said she saw somebody running down the bottom of the hallway.
"There was no getaway car, they were on foot."
The young couple believe the attack stemmed from an argument last Saturday night, when Mr Robinson confronted a man after their front door was kicked.
Mr Robinson confronted the man and was subsequently bitten on the face.
Ms Orr said she had been taunted in the street and has had sectarian abuse hurled at her - despite being a Protestant.
She said: "The people who did this are shallow and ignorant.
"They need to get the full facts before they start and not try to intimidate innocent people.
"We are supposed to have moved forward. We are not interested in politics, we just want to be left alone."
Ms Orr said she still has a copy of her baptism certificate from Stormont Presbyterian Church to prove she is a Protestant.
And Mr Robinson said he will be taking the certificate to the PUP.
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This story is sickening and shows that there is a long, long way to go before the bigotry in the North goes away. What a sad state of affairs when a Protestant woman with an Irish name has to bring a certificate to the PUP, the political wing of the Loyalist terror group the UVF, in order to put an end to sectarian abuse directed at her.
Despite efforts by some to blame the problems of society in Ireland's north solely on Republicans, the fact is Loyalists are every bit as dangerous and remain a big obstacle for us all to overcome if we are to bring some semblance of normality to this island of ours.
Speaking from their Braeside Grove home in the Braniel estate, both Mr Robinson and Ms Orr vowed they will not be intimidated from the home they have shared for 18 months.
Mr Robinson said: "It was about 2.45am when I was woken up with a banging on the front door. Then I heard this crashing and I told Roisin to stay upstairs.
"I went down the stairs and saw the state of the door. It looked like it had been hit twice with a hammer.
"They mustn't have been able to get in with a hammer so they threw the petrol bomb.
"A girl a couple of doors down said she saw somebody running down the bottom of the hallway.
"There was no getaway car, they were on foot."
The young couple believe the attack stemmed from an argument last Saturday night, when Mr Robinson confronted a man after their front door was kicked.
Mr Robinson confronted the man and was subsequently bitten on the face.
Ms Orr said she had been taunted in the street and has had sectarian abuse hurled at her - despite being a Protestant.
She said: "The people who did this are shallow and ignorant.
"They need to get the full facts before they start and not try to intimidate innocent people.
"We are supposed to have moved forward. We are not interested in politics, we just want to be left alone."
Ms Orr said she still has a copy of her baptism certificate from Stormont Presbyterian Church to prove she is a Protestant.
And Mr Robinson said he will be taking the certificate to the PUP.
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This story is sickening and shows that there is a long, long way to go before the bigotry in the North goes away. What a sad state of affairs when a Protestant woman with an Irish name has to bring a certificate to the PUP, the political wing of the Loyalist terror group the UVF, in order to put an end to sectarian abuse directed at her.
Despite efforts by some to blame the problems of society in Ireland's north solely on Republicans, the fact is Loyalists are every bit as dangerous and remain a big obstacle for us all to overcome if we are to bring some semblance of normality to this island of ours.
# posted by United Irelander @ 9:14 PM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
