Northern Irish News (and a comment on Obama)
It currently costs £5.40 for a return between Saintfield and Downpatrick. Weirdly, it's "only" £5 to go the same distance between Saintfield and Belfast (again, return). To put this in perspective... I think it cost the same for unlimited travel for 5 days in Prague. It's utterly absurd. If governments are serious about getting people to stop using their cars they need to put on viable alternatives - it's cheaper for me to drive in (petrol and parking) to Belfast for a quick trip than it is to get the bus.
.
This guy is our second-in-command (I know it's a bit old!)
I think my Northern Irish political affliation is pretty clear so perhaps this influences how I feel about this article. I really don't think someone in power in a country which is in the United Kingdom alongside Britain, in a country where people can hold (and many do) British passports should come out and say stuff like this! Our leaders should stop the focus on violence - even when talking about what they would have done. I really think McGuiness should face some sort of consequence for saying this. And let's not get me started on how ridiculous it is to have someone who has been in prison on charges of terrorism in power...
.
I know that anyone standing for the presidential campaign as a democrat has to be pro-"choice" (strangely, the choice that always seems to be proposed by these people is abortion - not adoption etc) and that is usually my only sticking point when it comes to thinking who I like in the presidential races. I did like Obama. But the link.. is absolutely sickening. How anyone... We need to stand against the evil that is infilrating our country - guys, if you're in the UK DO do something about the HFE bill. As Christians we need to stand on these issues - the bible is so clear about the sanctity of life.
.
posted by Rach @ 3:40 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Surely it makes sense to allow sinn fein to be in power and martin mcguinness to be dfm for a number of reasons.
1. Since Sinn Fein have become a major party the IRA have pretty much ceased to exist. Irish Republicanism is manifesting itself in peaceful politics rather than bombs, surely this is a pretty positive thing.
2. It'd be crazy to have restrictions on who should be allowed to be in power. We live in a democracy. Martin Mcguinness has served his time and the people of northern ireland have shown their support for him by voting, what right does any person have to usurp the choice of the people, to do so would be shocking violation of human rights.
3. You argue that someone who has been in prison for charges of terrorism should not be allowed in power.. Surely the fact that someone who once fought to destroy the state is now a leading figure of the state is a massive coup for supporters of peace. The fact that a once prominent IRA member has climbed the political ladder means that now when a Catholic politician says something, the Catholic population will listen and respect them. Also, the function of prison is both penal and to reform, by your argument you seem to condemn people for the decisions of their past and you seem to refuse to accept that people have the ability to change their perspectives.
4. What happened on Bloody Sunday is an example of British oppression and dispicable behaviour at its peak. Yes, it is wrong that Martin Mcguinness claims he would have killed those soldiers, but you have to understand that he is saying that the Martin Mcguiness of that time would have killed them, he's not saying if he met one of the soldiers in Castle court he'd pull out a gun. If he was talking in the present tense then you might just have a point.
The beauty of democracy is that it allows the people of a state the ultimate power to decide when a person deserves to be elevated to a state office. For one person to claim that another has no right to access to politics is both contrary to human rights and democracy itself.
I'm sorry for such a retaliatory statement it's just that i value freedom of speech, access to politics and democracy very highly.
Post a Comment
<< Home