Friday, March 03, 2006
Let's ask Love Ulster back to Dublin
"It is the entitlement and birthright of every person born in the island of Ireland, which includes its islands and seas, to be part of the Irish Nation" - Article 2 of the Irish constitutionSince I didn't get a chance to do my Thursday Thoughts feature I figured I would take the time to air my views here on the issue of whether or not the Love Ulster marchers should be invited back to Dublin.
My own view is that they should be invited back. I will explain why.
Those of you who are regular readers of United Irelander will know full well about my feelings towards Love Ulster. Indeed, I don't think it is too arrogant or too much of an exaggeration to say that no Irish blogger has taken as much of an interest in this group's activities as I have. Indeed, I have posted regularly on some of the sentiments echoed by the 'lovable scamps' on the Love Ulster forum. Since it's inception, which took place amidst support from groups like the Orange Order as well as loyalist paramilitaries, I have criticised the group and I objected to their plans to march in Dublin on the grounds that it was designed to be provocative rather than purposeful, insulting rather than informative, and triumphalist rather than tranquil. I still feel that it was designed to be all those things.
However, there is a more important issue at stake now.
Two wrongs do not make a right and instead of treating the parade with apathy and turning a blind eye to it, hundreds of thugs, regretfully, decided to come out on the streets and 'send the Prods home'. This disgraceful shower of thugs brought great shame on proper Irish republican ideals and left the image of Ireland badly damaged. While I initially felt the proposed Love Ulster parade was an abuse of freedom of speech I now feel in order for freedom of speech to be properly reinforced in this state, another parade should be held.
If the army have to be called out to enforce it so be it but I think I speak for most Irish people when I say that we abhorred the actions of the hoodlums last Saturday. My view is that if the marchers are willing to walk the route again that they should be allowed.
Last weekend the rioters stuck two fingers up at the unionist community and the wider nationalist community through their actions.
Now it's time for all of us to stick two fingers up at them and to allow the marchers to walk down the capital of the Irish REPUBLIC exemplifying basic REPUBLICAN values.
(PS On a related note, check out what happens when you type 'Love Ulster' into Google images)
# posted by United Irelander @ 2:46 AM 
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