*Originally posted by Aro *
**elfje, You could write a book trying to answer those questions, and time is very short for me today. 
One big issue is the idea that Trimble has already gone too far, offering concessions beyond what the DUP find acceptable - so rather than just halt the concessions they wish to reverse some of them (not going to happen).
**see, but that’s what I don’t understand, what right does any unionist have to use rights that should be a given as the proverbial carrot? All the nationalists want is equal rights for everyone. That is not something you concede, that is a basic human right, and should not be used as a weapon for negotiating.
"Concession:
*Something, such as a point previously claimed in argument, that *is later conceded.
*An acknowledgment or admission.
*the act of conceding.
Conceding means:
*To acknowledge, often reluctantly, as being true, just, or proper; admit."
**Policing is a big issue - the 50% Catholic, 50% other rule is considered discriminatory (it technically is a positive-discrimination policy to try and bring about a more fair police service).
yes, a very big issue, I know. When you’ve had a blatantly discriminating police force like the RUC (strange how we don’t hear anything anymore about the Stevens inquiry, no?), who sit back and let thugs of one community terrorise the other, well then policing would become a bit of an issue, wouldn’t it? The ranks of the IRA may have swollen straight after Bloody Sunday, and most probably the reason for most lads to join then was revenge, but I can’t dismiss the fact that an armed force of some sort was at one point necessary to defend the nationalist community from sectarian attacks, and indeed, to defend against the police. And, I hate to say this (i can’t condone violence of any kind, especially against innocents), but it was the IRA that brought the British government to the negotiating table. People don’t bomb whole wharves for no good reason.
Another is the idea of a convicted murder (Gerry Kelly) being elected Minister for Policing and Justice in the Assembly.
I don’t know anything about Gerry Kelly, so can’t offer a defense here
Another is the cross-border bodies which are not answerable to the Assembly in NI.
idem
FTR, I don’t agree with their policy ideas, I am only voicing them here for information.
I simple answer to this is that the DUP view them all (Sinn Fein) as still either murderers or in collusion with ‘murderers’ ie. the IRA, so have no wish to accommodate them until they are convinced the weapons are gone forever. The irony being, of course, that in order to ignore Sinn Fein they must ignore one of the most basic principles of representative democracy – that of accepting the will of the people to elect those whom they wish to represent them.
But what about the last act of decommissioning? The amount was larger than the two previous caches together, but most importantly, they issued a statement saying that they were opposed to any violence for political means. Opposed. Against. Meaning they won’t do it again, scouts honour, cross their hearts and hope to die. The IRA does not issue statements like that on a whim. And my first point about the actual weapons still stands. Should they so wish, they could re-arm faster than they decommissioned. So all the palavaring and going on about transparancy and completion is all (pardon my French) chickenshit. It’s just a stick to beat the IRA with, whom have said in enough words that their warmongering years are over. So I really think that that arguments (they’re all murderers, or associate with murderers) does not hold. I mean, the RUC contained murderers, or at least people that looked the other way when other people were being murdered. And what about the unionist paramilitary groups? The UDA? The UVF? Nobody’s ever asked them to disarm, have they? keeping in mind that the UDA was formed in what, 1913 (please correct me if I’m wrong)? took up arms against England, as Home Rule had been promised after the War (in which 50.000 Irish died for England, but nevertheless the Home Rule promise was soon forgotten afterwards, wasn’t it?), and the unionists didn’t like that, even then?
So where’s the equality in that? Both paramilitary groups (UVF and UDA) have also been accused of drug dealing, which to me, is more detrimental to a community then sitting on a stash of weapons that are not being used.
If you were embroiled in a fight with 2 or sometimes even 3 armed groups, would you give up all your weapons if the people you’re fighting against do not have to do the same thing?
I’d like to offer a positive view on this - I think, practically, on the ground there are much less people who give a shit about the politics / religion / culture of a person, but judge people as people. I think we all get along much better and there is less and less divide among communities, with the exception of a few key areas. I think the low turn out in the election (due to bad weather, lack of ID cards and apathy as the elections won’t lead to the formation of an assembly immediately) has greatly helped the more extreme parties gain a greater percentage. But I don’t see it as reflective of the mood in NI in general. No need for the dark clouds of doom quite yet - we’ve been through all this shit before. **
