Thursday, January 05, 2006
More money than sense
So Belfast City Council will provide £100,000 towards the organising of this year's St Patrick's Day Parade for the first time ever.Whoop-de-doo. Big deal. We must not forget that this parade is a complete and utter farce.
Councillors voted on Wednesday by 25 votes to 24 to organise an outdoor, carnival-type event on 17 March.
It has been laughably termed a 'neutral' event (more like politically correct guff) and is being described as "an inclusive event which can be enjoyed by everyone in the city, whatever their background."
I would describe it as: a politically correct event which can be met with apathy by everyone in the city, whatever their background.
What will be permitted at this 'parade' you ask? Alcohol, green shamrocks, national flags, partisan face painting and football tops are to be banned and revellers will only be allowed to sport rainbow-coloured shamrocks or a cross of Saint Patrick. Sounds about as exciting as a St Patrick's party at Ian Paisley's gaff.
God forbid people sport green shamrocks on St Patrick's Day! Who knows what kind of cross-community damage that would do! Far better to go with the cross of St Patrick - the same flag that that was originally designed by British authorities in Dublin Castle in the 17th century as a counterpart to the St George's Cross and which is still used by regiments of the British Army. That's a fine 'neutral' symbol right?!
An inspirational figure for Belfast City Council
As well as that, those caught wearing Rangers or Celtic tops will get green T-shirts to put over them. Just green shirts? Is there not an orange shirt, or maybe a red and white option for unionists? What a dreadful insult towards the unionist people!
As the BBC reminds us, "In the past, the parade was regarded as contentious with unionists objecting to the presence of Irish tricolours."
Yeah those Irish tricolours are really offensive what with the nasty symbolism behind it urging Catholics and Protestants to...well, live in peace with one another. We can't have that! Nah, far better to do what alot of unionists do and go around burning that very flag.
Kryptonite for Unionists
DUP councillor Sammy Wilson, who possesses a ghastly moustache that would have looked out of place in the eighties, put forward a motion calling for the decision to provide funding to be rejected in view of the fact security and other issues surrounding the event had not yet been resolved satisfactorily.
That's an interesting one because as far as I know, the DUP's Gregory Campbell and Jeffrey Donaldson are very enthusiastic about the proposed Love Ulster rally in Dublin and I'm pretty sure security and other issues surrounding that parade have yet to be resolved satisfactorily. Sammy Wilson of course in July of last year famously slammed the decision to fund three new Irish medium primary schools as quote, "nothing short of a disgraceful use of public money". Wow, can you believe he doesn't support the proposed funding?
I have said before that I think this proposed parade is an exercise in stupidity and that it's a case of political correctness gone mad. The fact that the Irish flag, supported by the majority of people on this island, has been BANNED while the St Patrick's cross has been fully supported just goes to show the disgraceful attitude that is shown towards the nationalist community in Ireland's north still to this day. My country's flag has been spit on by these people.
All this talk of the Irish tricolour being offensive to unionists is a load of BS in my opinion. I'd like to ask any unionists who might be reading this some questions...
1. Do you honestly regard the flying of Irish tricolours on St Patrick's Day as offensive and if so, why?
2. If your view is based on the fact that the Irish tricolour is not an official flag for the North, what are your thoughts on NI fans who fly this so-called 'Ulster flag' at NI football matches which likewise is not an official flag for the North? Is that offensive too?
3. What if people are holders of Irish passports and are Irish citizens. Is that not good grounds for these people at least to fly the Irish flag at parades in the North since it would then be their official flag?
I hope the Belfast 'parade' passes off peacefully but in my honest opinion, northern nationalists should boycott this PC 'parade' and head down south for the St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin. There, Irish tricolours will be waved freely, green shamrocks will be worn, people will laugh and have fun and people will express their national pride freely and openly without condemnation. All are welcome.
St Patrick's Day is Ireland's day. Let's all say a prayer to St Patrick in the hope that one day, Belfast City Council realise that.
# posted by United Irelander @ 12:37 PM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
