Nationalists Under Siege Public Speaking Tour

by OK - SP Tue Nov 26, 2002 18:44

I would welcome a series of meetings on communities being attacked, it raises awareness. HOWEVER will the meetings also deal with the protestant communities under siege? Will ÓSF be raising ideas on how to counter secarian thugs? will they be putting forward ideas of class unity?

by Justin Moran - Sinn Fein Tue Nov 26, 2002 18:48 maigh_nuad at yahoo dot com

OK - Go to a meeting and say all that. Better yet, organise a tour of the state by oppressed Protestant kids. No-one is stopping you doing either and I look forward to your report on the meeting you attend or your planned speaking tour in the next few weeks.

by Macker Tue Nov 26, 2002 19:13 shamagill at hotmail dot com

Yo ! Good to see Sinn Fein wasting no timing in unculcating the whipper snappers in the fine arts of insensitivity, point missing and tubevision.

Fair play to ye !

by Bea A. Tue Nov 26, 2002 21:55

Sore spot hit with Justin there it seems

by xx##xx Wed Nov 27, 2002 01:56

Justin, aren't the Protestant kids facing some of the same problems the Catholic kids are and isn't your approach - representing only the Catholic ones - sectarian? Sure wouldn't it solve a lot of problems if those kids could come together rather than be kept apart for political reasons? Or does it get more votes to protray one side as more oppressed than the other?

What exactly are the differences between the Protestant kids and the Catholic ones, apart from allegiences? They share more than what makes them different. Poverty, high unemployment, drug and alcohol problems, teenage pregnancies, lack of direction and a sense of a future, neighbours who torment each other, a history of (glorified) conflict that confuses the present day realities, political leaders all to willing to exploit their youth and alienation for their own purposes.

Rather sad that SF won't reach out the hand and seem to think it's someone else's job to bridge the gap.

by Justin Moran - Sinn Fein Wed Nov 27, 2002 11:56 maigh_nuad at yahoo dot com

There are people in Israel pissed off and oppressed by the Palestinians. How many left wong groups invite them over? Over 90% of attacks are on Nationalists, the police side with the Loyalists, the army sides with the loyalists, the media is biased against nationalists. One side is under siege. Another side is besieging it. Do Loyalists youths have problems? Yes. Would I like to help? Absolutely. And so SF people on the ground are in contact with Loyalist community workers to try and defuse tension.

My point was more addressed at OK who uses any SF post as an opportunity to attack the party for not living up to some imaginary ideal. My point is that his party isn't even trying. If they have a different analysis on the North, put it forward, host meetings like we have or attend the meetings we host and put your point of view across. If he wants to bring Protestant young people on a tour of the SOuth I can assure you I'll attend he meeting, but do you really think young Loyalists from East Belfast are going to go on an SF run tour?

by Joe H Wed Nov 27, 2002 15:22

Nationalists definitely have a grievance. However, SF are not the people to be talking about it. They are as bad as the loyalists, except they're green rather than orange.

by socialist party Fri Nov 29, 2002 00:38

Justin has made a fair point here. We are free to organise our own meetings as we do.
on the irsreali one we did bring an israeli activist over. Although I think bringing a catholic and prodestant would be better than a lone prodestant as that too would be sectarian.