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Should Northern Ireland be integrated with the South?
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These marches do nothing but stir up trouble and keeps the fire burning between the two communities. Alternatively should these marches be banned? They are like a red rag to a bull and create even deeper divisions.
These marches do nothing but stir up trouble and keeps the fire burning between the two communities. Alternatively should these marches be banned? They are like a red rag to a bull and create even deeper divisions.
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Batting or bowling nox? I'm just trying to field a few of the daft comments :-) . Look at it this way: suppose you changed the constitutional position of N Ireland let's say to be 'integrated with the south'. People would still want to march, other people would still object and you'd have just the same situation as before but with the added problem that you'd have the Protestants in the north in the same alienated position that the nationalists would have been in previously. And banning marches as we've seen only leads to more trouble. I'd rather there hadn't been a signing of any Covenant in the north of Ireland in 1912. I'd rather there were no marches. One can also blame religion too however none of that is any help in understanding the problems that go with a divided society. And therefore of no use in helping. There's an ongoing process begun by a lot of very determined and good people from Britain and Ireland and that process has a chance of success because it recognises the traditions of all sides and seeks to accommodate them, rather than wish them out of existence
As one who was glad that there was the signing of a Covenant, mainly because I would have had no desire to have my background subsumed into what was then an aggresively monotheisitic monocultural Ireland, (although I readily acknowledge that it has moved on greatly and I love the time I spend there now), I can see such a lot of sense in ichkerias post. As always, there are two sides to every story.
The marchers march regardless and religion clouds so many issues. There is also the issue of people travelling vast distances to be "offended" by marches, as the arrest sheets at most contentious marches show. They should be hammered by the courts for fomenting trouble. If a march in Lurgan offended me I would stay in Belfast, yet people from Lurgan were arrested at Ardoyne not all that long ago.
The religion issue also annoys me as I have experienced all too many morons on both sides espousing their views despite not being religious in the slightest, yet all to readily using religion to "justify" their arguments. You can't have it both ways kids?
The issue of bands stopping/serending outside churches is a strange one. If there are people worshipping in the church at the time then I would arrest every singe band member/marcher. However, if the church is empty, so what? It is an empty building and, as long as it is not in a republican/nationalist/catholic/call it what you will area, where is the harm?
We are, however, as sandy pointed out earlier, united in poverty, both financial and of ambition.
Finally, "William of Orange wasn't even English"???? Glad you pointed that out but who is going to tell the marchers?
The marchers march regardless and religion clouds so many issues. There is also the issue of people travelling vast distances to be "offended" by marches, as the arrest sheets at most contentious marches show. They should be hammered by the courts for fomenting trouble. If a march in Lurgan offended me I would stay in Belfast, yet people from Lurgan were arrested at Ardoyne not all that long ago.
The religion issue also annoys me as I have experienced all too many morons on both sides espousing their views despite not being religious in the slightest, yet all to readily using religion to "justify" their arguments. You can't have it both ways kids?
The issue of bands stopping/serending outside churches is a strange one. If there are people worshipping in the church at the time then I would arrest every singe band member/marcher. However, if the church is empty, so what? It is an empty building and, as long as it is not in a republican/nationalist/catholic/call it what you will area, where is the harm?
We are, however, as sandy pointed out earlier, united in poverty, both financial and of ambition.
Finally, "William of Orange wasn't even English"???? Glad you pointed that out but who is going to tell the marchers?
Personally I would give Northern Ireland its independence. No longer responsible to the mainland for policy, tax collection and defence. Now they have Stormont operating they can live together quite peacable and with joint sharing executive Englands involvement is no longer needed. In fact it could mean greater participation with the South.
Asking the voters of the North will soon be irrelevent as the Catholic population may soon outnmber the Protestants due to their higher birth rates.
Asking the voters of the North will soon be irrelevent as the Catholic population may soon outnmber the Protestants due to their higher birth rates.
"Asking the voters of the North will soon be irrelevent as the Catholic population may soon outnmber the Protestants due to their higher birth rates."
It is not "The North" it is Northern Ireland, and my understanding is that the birth rates are quite similar, or are you still buying the old "they breed like rabbits" fallacy?
It is also quite an assumption that all Catholics will necessarily vote against the status quo or, for that matter, that all Protestants will vote to maintain it. Then you have the atheists and heathens like me?
It is not "The North" it is Northern Ireland, and my understanding is that the birth rates are quite similar, or are you still buying the old "they breed like rabbits" fallacy?
It is also quite an assumption that all Catholics will necessarily vote against the status quo or, for that matter, that all Protestants will vote to maintain it. Then you have the atheists and heathens like me?
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