Sunday, May 07, 2006
Boy fights for life after sectarian attack
A 15 year old catholic boy is tonight on a life-support machine after receiving a vicious sectarian beating at the hands of a loyalist mob in Ballymena. The incident follows the stabbing of another catholic youth by loyalists in the town last month (Today FM is reporting the incident in more details.)
Update
Tragically, young Michael McIlveen has lost his fight for life tonight.
Chris Donnelly @ 03:37 PM
Daulta
There is fear and there is pure hate. One fuels the other. But there is also the politics of fear and the politics of hate. There is the incitement to violence and tacit encouragement and formulating excuses.
Yes we need to address the divides in our community, but that will take decades. Even when we do there will be sickos who fall on you on a Friday night because your hair is fair or they don’t like your shirt. Let’s face it not everyone in Ballymena roams the streets at dead of night waiting to waylay strangers like a scene out of the League of Gentlemen.
Here and now we must deal with these people and whilst we address the overarching problems of society none of us should give them any consolation whatsoever. Justice must be done and their lives should be as arid as the dessert. They should have no hope, no comfort, no solace.
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 10:26 AMstephen: “does anyone really care what political, or religious persuasion these scum were who done this? “
Isn’t in funny when its a case of Nationalists behaving poorly, say, a sectarian parade, we get an endless stream of stem-winders about McGuinness and Adams and terrorism out of some folks, yet Unionists get are the culprits, we get this “can’t we all agree this is wrong??” pap…
A pity we can’t all agree that all of this is wrong.
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 10:26 AMqubol, understand what you mean, but would question whether your assertions expose any linkage.
The DUP ’ hatred of sf, is clear, and maybe people on the ground, (which is a code for the spiv leadership, uda uvf etc) should rally be doing more.
Ultimately, where are the police?
Is ballymena becoming the new crime centre of ni?
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 10:29 AM‘DREAD’,
A pity we can’t all agree that all of this is wrong
I CAN AGREE ON THAT, WITH NO HESITATION.
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 10:33 AMCrataegus,
I don’t believe that the fear and the hatred, and the politics thereof, are independent of each other. I say again that I believe that the hatred is rooted in fear.
On the other political points you make I reckon we’re in agreement. I don’t, however, agree with vengeance.
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 10:35 AMstephen: “I CAN AGREE ON THAT, WITH NO HESITATION. “
Suuuuure you do… except when the culprit is a UDR man or the like… then it “why y’all maligning these poor innocents?”
You have expressed denial on the roots of this whole bloody conflict, and, yet, when Unionist thuggery raises is bloody head, I’m supposed your cries of “can’t we all just get along?” You make comments making clear your desire for more Republican dead and, suddenly, when Unionists are caught behaivng badly, I’m supposed to give your “hey, this is WRONG” spiel *ANY* credence?
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 10:53 AMqubol
By the logic of your argument, where there is powersharing, there should be no street violence? Is it the atmosphere of tolerance and respect for culture the reason why people literally eat each others faces off up in Derry hi?
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 10:56 AMmaybe there all a wee bit mad in derry jo or maybe it takes more than just power sharing at a local level - like real and open engagement from unionists with sinn fein.
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 11:01 AM..well ya notice I didnt eat yur face off, anyway, wee lad ;)
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 11:02 AMdread,
I do not condone any violence, and it wouldnt displease me if all the terrorist murderers starved themselves to death.
Those two positions are perfectly normal.
I regret any loss of life, as we all have loved ones, families etc.
Do not try and pigeon hole me, just cos I was on the wind about sands et al over the weekend.
What denial about the roots of the conflict?
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 11:05 AM> aye I did, you must be in good form the day.
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 11:06 AMkudos to former Mayor of B’mena, Jas Currie for coming out and calling this sectarian.
Is this a first for a Unionist politician to pre-empt the PSNI?
qubol
I wouldnt go that far! Howver, I have it in for <a > today. I suspect however that if it was a “political sort of rape”, that certain ppl here would support it…
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 11:17 AMDaulta
It is not vengeance I advocate, but dealing with such crime firmly. I think we need to be very careful not to say anything that could be taken up as condoning any such crime. Yes we need to get on with issues around a divided community, but it is very important that we all unequivocally condemn all crime.
What one does to solve the problem must be totally separated from those that commit crime. The message must be clear and unequivocal no crime will be tolerated.
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 11:30 AMUtter scumbags that did this!!
Hope the wee chap pulls through, although its going to take some years until he gets over this - what a shame!
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 11:49 AMI grew up in Ballymena and was subject to a couple of beatings and a pipe bomb attack, as a result of being in the wrong (loyalist) areas, and being a reasonably well known catholic in the town. Most of my mates down there were orangemen, some of the best people I’ve ever met in my life, but there was always an element of risk involved in going to certain places. For that reason I’ll never be back in the twisted, sectarian little shit-hole that it is. I believe that the motivation for this kind of behaviour is the fact that it is such a renowned loyalist stronghold, and the recent news that catholics live and work in Ballymena is freaking some people out. To some it is a loyalist only town, in which catholics do not exist…
http://www.ballymenatoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=2698&ArticleID=1465368
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 01:09 PMEnglish. Are you saying that Paisley is “the leader” of the thugs who stabbed this boy? If so, how has he become their leader? Perhaps you could clarify your statement one way or another.
I hope that those who stabbed the poor lad get caught and put away by the law for a long time.
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 01:24 PMWas there an Orange parade in Ballymena on Saturday night?
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 01:53 PMsrr,
no, Saturday afternoon…
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 01:58 PMhey david. where on bebo? - i just signed up and went thru so much shit - please don’t say it was all for nothin.
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 02:19 PMchecking out todays (monday 8 May) Belfast Tele website leads with a story on ciggie smuggling AND there apparently is nothing on the ballymena attack.
have i missed something? or enuf said about the slant of the telegraph?
hope the guy pulls thru.
denials of sectarian nature of this attack have to rank up there with the swill of denial and innuendo following the death of the Quinn children.
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 02:58 PMWild Turkey
Of course the attack is in all probability sectarian.
However I think we need to be very careful in categorising such crime. Without any doubt it is a crime of acute violence and possibly attempted murder. A young person was viciously attacked by a group criminals.
Once you start categorising and call an act sectarian rather than simply an intolerable act of violence you in many way validate the crime in the minds of very twisted people. For sectarian means we got one of them in some sick minds and the sick weirdos add one to their score sheet just as their counterparts in the other community contemplate returning the affront.
I wish we would all unite and simply condemn such actions as crimes of violence for once we go down the other road we highlight our differences and send very muddled messages.
It is not that I am naive or choose to ignore sectarianism quite the opposite, I would like us all to unite and instead of regarding people as part of this or that group regard all as people with rights equal under the law. We should give those that carry out such acts no home and no sense of belonging whatsoever. Their actions place themselves outside all of civilised society.
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 03:35 PMNorth Antrim MP Ian Paisley said:
“This was an horrific attack on this young man and all right-thinking and law-abiding people in Ballymena totally condemn it,”
“Those who have been responsible for this must have the full rigour of the law applied to them.”
He appealed for anyone with information on the attack to contact police.
BBC
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 03:48 PMCrat,
..and we’ll do away with all racial crime by simply refusing to admit that it exists? When the British police forces used this argument they were condemned as institutionally racist!
The NI entity bases its existence on the right to civil and religious liberty but many of us have always said that such a claim was misleading and wrong. Have you thought much about this or is it just that you want to avoid the subject?
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 03:59 PMI am appalled by some of the posts on this thread.
Out thoughts should be with this young fellas family and not trying to score points.
Shame on you and you know who you are.
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 04:18 PMIf people in positions of authority turn a blind eye to sectarianism (or racism) such as the DUP in north Antrim did last summer it sends out a message that such behaviour is acceptable and has the effect of encouraging sectarianism.
Paisley appears to have belatedly learned that his silence on such matters is unacceptable and therefore his comments are to be welcomed.
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 04:44 PM
