I see that one of Dr. Paisley’s best friends has been interviewed on the Eamon Dunphy show on RTE today. You can listen to the programme via this link. Mr. McGuinness came across, in an admittedly hardly challenging interview, as a friendly, affable individual. Behind the bonhomie, however, it was most interesting that we heard lots about people killed by the British army and a little about British soldiers who were killed. We heard about how Bloody Sunday “Hardened our attitudes considerably” and McGuinness proclaiming his wish: “If I had of had the opportunity to kill every single British soldier that was on the streets of Derry I would have killed every single one of them without any difficulty whatsoever.” I suppose at least that was honest though it sounds like what one would expect from the likes of Torrens Knight or Michael Stone; which is of course about the same level as that which practically all unionists hold Mr. McGunniess.
However, less honest was McGuinness’s claim that in Londonderry it was “A straight fight between the army, RUC and IRA”. Not one word was mentioned about people like Frank Hegarty, Patsy Gillipse, Jeff Agate nor any of the others who were in neither the army nor RUC yet were murdered by Mr. McGuinness’s friends.
Some other quotes from McGuiness are also enlightening. “I think I am well rounded, compassionate and understanding”; that without a hint of irony, along with this about his own mother: “Thank God she is still with us”. A pity that due to McGuiness and his friends there are a large number of people on this island and elsewhere who cannot say that about family members.
Still William McCrea seems to think this gives weight to the DUP’s view that policing and justice should not be devolved. Funny though, that it does not stop Dr. McCrea accepting Mr. McGuinness as Deputy (and in reality equal) First Minister.
This author has not written a biography and will not be writing one.
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