reply to post by mr-lizard
All deaths are deeply regretable but as Ireland history shows while there are british forces on our land of Ireland there will never be peace.
After ten years of peace there was no cause for british forces of occupation to remain in the north - while what the RIRA did was terrible, the
actions of the british government to have occupational forces still remain in the land of Ireland has to be questioned also.
I have not once seen this issue brought up on this thread.
Why in a time of peace were british colonial forces still on the Island of Ireland. The peace process did not require or need them.
Shame on RIRA for what they did but more shame upon the british government for stationing forces of occupation to remain in the north where they was
no reason. If the british continue to offer provocation through the stationing of british armed forces on the island of Ireland it will inevitably
provoke an armed response as it has throughout the history of Ireland.
Many proponents of the armed struggle would have been told to give the peace process a chance and they did. Many of them have since become frustrated
after ten years of peace to see british bases still on the island of Ireland - in many eyes this would have been seen as a failure of the peace
process.
I'm not condoning the deaths of the british soliders and I feel for their familes but I think equal blame should be attributed to the britsh
government as it has been to RIRA.
If you continue to wave a red flag at a bull it will eventually attack.
True peace in Ireland will be achieved through a full british withdrawal. This would allow the Northern government to rule itself and eventually lead
to a united Ireland.
Remember this violence has happened before and will again - if we do not learn from our history we shall repeat the mistakes of the past in the
future.
Some quotes from the past to prove my point.
They think they have pacified Ireland. They think that they have purchased half of us and intimidated the other half. They think they have foreseen
everything, think that they provided against everything; but the fools, the fools, the fools! - they have left us our Fenian dead, and while Ireland
holds these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace". - Padraig Pearse, in oration at funeral in Glasnevin of Fenian Jeremiah O'Donovan
Rossa, August 1, 1915.
The british govt has no right in Ireland, never had any right in Ireland ,never can have any right in Ireland " James Connolly 1916