Tuesday 15 June 2010

Second bite at the Saville cherry

Once more unto the quagmire I go. For those of us who were children at the time, for those of us whose connections with Northern Ireland are tenuous to say the least, it is perhaps difficult to understand what the events today mean for the Northern Irish people. But I will still have a bloody big attempt at it (again) even if it means over-simplifying an incredibly complex and historically rooted issue as "2 wrongs don't make a right".

Cameron deserves credit for reading something out in Parliament rather than covering it up. It's a funny world where I can seek to make a virtue out of someone merely doing his job and reporting the findings of an independent body, independently. I blame Lord Hutton.

And while it would be helpful to recognise that today's report marks an important admission finally that the British Army were at fault, which should be taken on its own terms, I will give the impression that justice for some is not worthwhile unless everyone gets it. If I took that argument to its logical conclusion (don't worry, I never have before so won't start now) you wouldn't try any criminal because there will always be those who get away with things and convicting those who get caught wouldn't be fair on the victims of those who don't.

I'll also ignore acknowledgement of the fact that it is such a crucial episode in the Troubles because (setting aside centuries of grievances about how the British had treated the Irish previously, eh Mr Cromwell et al?) if it had never happened or hadn't been covered up years ago there probably wouldn't have been all of the other terrible atrocities I list.

I think I should leave it there as I definitely don't want to end up spouting chunks of populist generalising to keep regular readers happy, with just a hint of controversy to encourage some healthy debate. And I certainly wouldn't want to conclude by talking about my "thoughts" being with people I couldn't care less about because like most British people I can't and don't really understand this whole issue, simply to try and display my human and caring side.

3 comments:

  1. Simpering, very wily words. You're an idiot, but you write some words on subjects you have no opinion on to the best of your limited abilities.

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  2. Thanks for you comments. You seem to have got me to a tee. It's a good job you weren't rude to me or else I would have refused to allow your words to be published despite me being a champion of the openness and free debate that the interweb facilitates.

    And I would have blocked you on Twitter as well because it is much more adult and mature to use the playground tactic of sticking your fingers in your ears, going "na na na na " loudly and simply not listening to anything that might differ from your view, than to actually engage despite having a huge platform to spread misinformed and half baked opinions, fallacies, half truths and lies.

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  3. I completely agree, Inain, and I feel the words of A. Random Twitterer to be funestly apposite at this juncture:

    "@Barthsnotes

    Those kids at school who dished it out
    but would run to teacher
    crying "telling!" at any excuse.
    That's you, that is"

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