Great. Now our TD's can be ineffective in two jurisdictions.

and i hear not a single fine gael or labour td or senator went to the presentation. pat rabbitte cried off sick!!

Will these residents receive a prize for their bravery in speaking out against intimidation and attempted murder?

Surely there must be some organisation out there.

The ethnic-cleansing of Catholics from Antrim must stop.

Hens
"and i hear not a single fine gael or labour td or senator went to the presentation. pat rabbitte cried off sick!!"

So what?

B.B.
"The ethnic-cleansing of Catholics from Antrim must stop"

Brian Boru are you sending up the DUP or are you the Catholic version of the DUP? I didn't realise that Catholics were "ethnics"

Sectarian and political violence must be criminalised, no matter who is the culprit

"The ethnic-cleansing of Catholics from Antrim must stop."

You forgot "genocide".

Biffo

"genocide"

I wasn't aware of any deaths in recent months.
Where are the mass graves? Why has the international media refused to report the carnage of the thousands of Catholics who live in County Antrim?

I think Biffo was being sarcastic.

"Ahoghill residents talk to TDs"

Sometimes I despair, will some ever learn that TD`s along with Westminister MP`s don`t care, I`ll repeat that, don`t care.

The only ones who can fight and cleanse sectarianism from within these communities are themselves.

No-one else can do it.

Some unionists have now claimed that this is justification for the violence against the "Provos" in Ahoghill. Funny how the bitterness never takes long to emerge.

Dick D
"Sometimes I despair, will some ever learn that TD`s along with Westminister MP`s don`t care,

I`ll repeat that, don`t care.

The only ones who can fight and cleanse sectarianism from within these communities are themselves.

No-one else can do it."

Well said, even if it is stating the obvious

Jo

"Some unionists have now claimed that this is justification for the violence against the "Provos" in Ahoghill"

Who said this?

FD
You may wish to visit the appropriate thread on ATW...or...you may not.

It is ethnic-cleansing. If you look up the term "ethnic" you will see it applies to religious minorities also so to the person who questioned my use of the word I stand my it.

Shame on Labour and FG for refusing to meet Catholics burnt out of their homes. One of them, Cathleen McCaughey was on RTE Radio 1 yesterday and I was apalled at her story of these Loyalist thugs bursting into her home with children sleeping upstairs and threatening her to leave or else. Same for the paintbombing of her house.

It is ironic that at the very time the PIRA has met Unionist demands on decommissioning that the Loyalist side has chosen to turn up the heat in such a provocative and sectarian way.

This thread reminds me of a science fiction story I read once about people manipulating time and past events, so that in the end one could never be certain of what actually took place and what was due to faulty memory.

However .... I distinctly recall reference to Sinn Féin members in the blog and indeed some posts alluding to them. What happened to them, the shinners and the posts?

I'm genuinely confused.

What exactly were the deputies being asked to do?

"What exactly were the deputies being asked to do?"

Well, they should speak up for the victims and demand the British government does more to protect people from being burnt out of their homes by sectarian bigots.

"..and demand the British government does more to protect people from being burnt out of their homes.."

Indeed.. which is why the Sinn Féin representatives trooped the residents down to the Dáil...

[/sarcasm]

BB,

It's a bit vague. Do they want more policemen on the beat for example? Why would going to Dublin help?

"It's a bit vague. Do they want more policemen on the beat for example? Why would going to Dublin help?"

Because it seems the British govt isn't listening. Maybe Bertie can persuade them too.

If you were one of the few Catholic residents left in Ahoghill, you would probably try anything to try and safeguard your family.

When you go to the psni and they offer you a fire blanket and tell you to take care. its hardly a ringing endorsement of a police force willing to help.

Your local mp fails to make a comment and local unionists elected reps pay lip service to your plight.

Do these people not have the right to live in peace without having to send their children to stay with relatives in case they become the latest version of the Quinn children.

If it was me ,i would try anything.

"Your local mp fails to make a comment..."

Who's the local MP then? Do we know the heartless scoundrel?

Jo

Thanks.

BB

"Because it seems the British govt isn't listening"

Extra resources and a special policing operation has been launched to combat these attacks (should have happened sooner but it would show they have started to listen)

"What exactly were the deputies being asked to do?"

"Well, they should speak up for the victims and demand the British government does more to protect people from being burnt out of their homes by sectarian bigots."

Perhaps they could send in the troops

It is ironic that at the very time the PIRA has met Unionist demands on decommissioning that the Loyalist side has chosen to turn up the heat in such a provocative and sectarian way.
Posted by: Brian Boru at October 6, 2005 08:44 PM

It isn’t ironic, its only to be expected. The purpose of negotiations is to get the other side to give up everything, while giving up nothing yourself, that cannot be taken back again when you want to. Laying down your arms and suing for peace is not necessarily a good idea, as you should know if you’ve ever heard of Silken Thomas. There is a long history of successful fighters making disastrous negotiators, Michael Collins being the most relevant example. In the present case, once the govt, or at the very least the Unionist camp has seen that the provies have no arms, it will make sure they then have no money to buy any more, and then any concessions will start melting away like last year’s snow.

But as for the events in Ahoghill, this sort of thing is unfortunately common throughout the province, and occurs on both sides. If one Catholic the less in Ahoghill means one more in Portglenone, then nothing has really changed. This is not effective ethnic cleansing, merely the increased sectarianisation of housing.

By the way the term ethnic cleansing is a translation of the Serbo-Croat ciscenie, which definitely referred to the removal of religious minorities, not people of a different hue.