have absolutely no idea what you are talking about...but feel free to ignore me...and if you don't care about the documented troubles in Ireland then don't come here... http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk-news/2013/jul/14/belfast-riots-police-officers-injured
no worries...the Mods have no issue with the content of my posts and the lack of comments...so feel free to report me if you'd like. I'd like to see the BigSoccer legal language where it says the comments are "necessary".
The same man that will curse a child for their heritage tucks his own child in at night and wants him or her to be safe. When I was an agnostic these clashes made no sense. When I became a Christian these clashes made even less sense. "Necessary?!?"
It is stories like this that really hit home. Teens killed by the very people that supposedly are there to represent them.
Thanks so much Celt, I think that I found the same 2004 article with an online link...easier for folks to read...Peace, Marc http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...d-the-price-for-insulting-paramilitaries.html
I sometimes wonder if people ever quite get their head around the history of 'the troubles' when they are not from the UK/Ireland and are new to it all. Gerry Adams voice being banned in Britain is one of the memories of watching the news growing up here. Seems like such an odd thing to have done now looking back at it.
I'm sure all our American friends have got a complete grasp of the intricacies of the situation... 'Ah, top of the morning to yer, Mr. McChurchill sir'
It was a farce, but the idea was that it would stop pro-IRA views being broadcast. The tv stations then got round the ruling by having his voice dubbed, so that it was no longer "his voice" being broadcast. This was then sent up by Chris Morris' spoof TV news show "The Day Today", where it was stated that "...under government reporting restrictions, the IRA spokesman has to first inhale helium so his statements lack credibility..."
But, tbh, WAS that any more ludicrous than what Thatcher had them doing??? Talk about making yourselves an international laughing stock. Almost as pathetic as the yank 'Gitmo's not really in America so we can torture people' shit
Thatcher's plan was meant to stop their views being broadcast at all. The "voice spoken by an actor" nonsense was just the broadcasters sidestepping the ruling.
Do people outside the UK realise what still regularly goes on here regarding 'the troubles? Bomb thrown at a Belfast police station last night http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-23678343
To what extent? I only get to hear of what goes on from my association football and GAA buddies. A bit off topic but still about how different nations came to be during English Empire rule. As Americans, at one point in our nation's history we had Loyalists and we had Rebels or as the English Crown called us, traitors. The end game was that our rebels won, our 13 colonies gained independence from the British Crown and the Brits had to pack up and go home or as it relates to Northern Ireland with those that are from Ireland but consider themselves British, our American Loyalists to the Crown had several choices, stay and see how this new nation pans out, leave to other home nations under Crown rule (just move to Canada which in 1961 finally got it's own home rule iirc) or move to some other nation on the planet. Most stayed and both sides reconciled the conflict and quickly got to work building a new nation. Onward U.S. of A. Simply put, none of this happened in Northern Ireland post 1922. Instead the two sides have had to live next to each other under some uneasy settlement for generations now. In the Americas, the planet can see there is the remnent of the English Crown's Empire with the U.S. and Canada. In Ireland there is Ireland Republic of and this onclave of folks that are Irish but want to be ruled by some other nation's monarchy.
Regarding the bolded part... Er... WHAT?! http://www.filibustercartoons.com/timeline.htm There was pretty much a continuous removal of British rights to play a role in Canada for 100+ years before 1961. The problem is, of course, that, in a situation where there are hundreds of thousands of people that want to remain part of a society, it's bloody hard to force them to OUT. In fact it's as hard to force them out as it was to force the Catholics to stay IN, thus the partition and thus the troubles.
Jan 1, 1947- Canadian Citizenship Act gives all Canadians Canadian citizenship. Before, they were considered British subjects. Jun 22, 1948- King George VI abandons the title of "Emperor", formally ending the concept of the "British Empire" Feb 15, 1965- Canada adopts its own national flag, turfing the Red Ensign and Union Jack. I guess I was off by 4 years as what I recall from WWII was at study of battle maps and tactics of say North Africa and the Normandy landings I always recalled that Canada's flag was like Fiji or New Zealand with a Union Jack in it over what we know of today with the Maple Leaf. I mean us to their south got our own flag free from the Brits two centuries earlier, Canadians didn't get their own flag free from the Brits until 4 dudes from Liverpool where making hit records, that's all! Of course you are correct, however to us in the Americas where us of European heritage and our various monarchs from England to Spain to the French to the Dutch and Portuguese, we dove into someone else's culture who were already here and over time it makes your people what they are. The blend of various peoples and you get us mutts. In Ireland, being what you mentioned is true, then at some point some leader on each side has to go more rugby and less association football in mindset and celebrate the blend. In other words for those that won't catch that, my ROI and No. Ireland buddies here in Houston mention that when the Six Nations comes around or the Rugby World Cup comes around, everyone backs a united Ireland National Rugby Football Team, where even the proddys from the North will sing the soldiers song and everyone, at least for 80 minutes, is pro one island Ireland. Yet when World Cup qualifying comes around or the like for ROI and Northern Ireland, that sentiment stops cold in its tracks. As footy junkies we can all understand the passion for the sport and what your flag means and yet it does speak to the fact that clearly there is the willingness of the Irish people to stand together and as well a week later stand separated. All of us looking from the outside in and specifically for us of Irish diaspora around the globe, it makes many of us bonkers cuz one way of thinking celebrates the green while the other divides the green. I would tell the Unionists, to sow union a la Ireland rugby union matches. One Irish team. It already happens. Keep the ball rolling soN! Here is this prayer for the troubles. Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen
You don't think that... Dec 11, 1931- Statute of Westminster / Founding of "Commonwealth": -British Parliament can no longer make laws for Canada. -Canada can modify or repeal past British-made legislation -Canada has right to it's own foreign policy. -Virtual political independence from Britain ... or Jan 10, 1920- Canada is permitted to join the League of Nations as an independent, free-voting member. ... or even Feb 14, 1853- The Canadian Currency Act allows Canada to adopt her own Currency ... might be more relevant? Regarding the six nations, that's a throwback to the old 'Home Nation Championships'. I don't think we can gather too much from that, tbh. In any event, I don't know who you speak too but the protestants I'VE met from the north don't tend to cheer for anything with the colour green in it. Quite the opposite, unfortunately... As to whether that should be the case... in my case you're preaching to the choir here mate. Of course, not that I, (or, indeed, most other Englishmen), feel it's got anything to do with me. Lastly, RELIGION??? REALLY? You think the situation over there will be helped by adding MORE religion into it??? Not sure you've thought that through mate, tbh.
Nope. Look, when a nation's flag still has the Union Jack in it then you still have some splainin' to do. Just an American talkin'. Ireland played our guys here in Houston in a one off friendly and it set the record attendance for USA Rugby. I enjoyed the fact that the billboard just said Ireland vs. U.S.A. on it with no mention of Republic or Northern. Take from this what one will but to me it lives outside the boundaries of a throwback era NM. You're telling me that no one in all of Ireland ever cheered this man on when he played for Northern Ireland? A football team that wears green! No not religion. Relationship. Really. As I have witnessed it over the years, if people actually took to the words of their holymen or pastors, then perhaps brother wouldn't look to kill brother. I will admit it is a story as old as Cain and Able so I don't expect much to change but as an old fan of Bill Clinton, getting both sides of the centuries old conflict to finally reach some agreement is a Godsend from above!
The protestant that I knew from Northern Island told me that Catholics are the ni**ers of Northern Ireland.
pedant mode on It's the Union Flag. It is only called the Union Jack when being flown at sea. Pedant mode off as you were gentelmen..........
That's the attitude of some protestants... which is exactly why I can't stand them. TBH, the idea that most people in England, Scotland or Wales support the Protestants is laughable.
Some of them travel with the same attitude. A friend was bartending near Giants Stadium about a decade ago when ManU was doing their summer moneygrubbing tour. A few dozen come in after the game - fat, drunk sunburnt & shirtless (the English national costume apparently) and start calling him "Paddy" and singing "nick nack Paddy wack" and just harassing everyone in sight. Charming folk.