Armed struggle in North is an act of genocide

From Maurice FitzGerald

The price of a united Ireland so far has been high, with the deaths of an estimated 3,500 people and the maiming of countless others. If the armed struggle is to achieve its objective by this method, it will result
in no less than what will amount to genocide against the British apparatus that it hates.

Republicans/nationalists want the end of British rule in Northern Ireland and want the unionist people to go along with the plan or come under Irish governance. There is no sign of this happening soon or at all despite the passage of almost 40 years since the Troubles began in earnest in the 1970s.

Unionists are implacable in not being terrorised or bullied into a united Ireland and will not give up 'their struggle' either, to live in a terrorist- and strife-free Northern Ireland.

The unionist struggle has been underestimated by republicans who may believe that their struggle is the only one. For far too long we have been listening to the aims of the republican struggle without giving much thought to unionists who want a peaceful coexistence on this island without looking over their shoulder. Unionists do not want to be forced into a united Ireland and most of the people on this island want exactly the same thing on the basis of consent.

Of course, unionists will always have the upper hand because they have right on their side in not allowing terrorism to play a part in their decision-making. There can be no doubt given recent events that there has been a renaissance of terrorist activity designed and calculated to murder with trepidation.

Things are a lot different now than in the bad days of old. Terrorist activity will not fall on romantic political grounds or cushions. It will be seen as a desperate attempt by fundamentalists to destroy any progress that has been made. Unionists are only going to discuss the concept of unity if the conditions are right.

The resurgence of violence is making the conditions far from ideal and again ensuring that peace is not given any kind of chance. Terrorism is designed to strike fear into people, but lacks any political direction other than to rob people of their lives and make others suffer.

The plan of most terrorists in Northern Ireland is to make the British suffer as long as they occupy the six counties, not to find a shared and non-violent solution. Of course it is not only the British that suffer – many others have suffered as well in merciless indiscriminate attacks.

It seems clear enough that the price paid so far for unity has been nothing short of a vicious blood bath, without any guarantee of republican/nationalists getting what they want.

Nobody can afford to pay that price.

Maurice Fitzgerald,

Shanbally,

Co Cork.

October 25, 2009

Comments

#1 Gordon commented, on October 25, 2009 at 6:59 p.m.:

What a truly bizarre letter - Mr Fitzgerald basically re-writes history to suit a conclusion that he had already made! To Mr. fitzgerald, the northern conflict was a one way street, with no blame attached to unionism/loyalism or british collusion with both of these political strands! It is a calumny that would be laughable if it wasn't so offensive and risible.

#2 Tom commented, on October 25, 2009 at 8:51 p.m.:

Revisionism is alive and well in Co. Cork if the letter from Maurice Fitzgerald is a baromoter. Such political selectivity from this revisionist is vomit inducing. No mention of the odious bigotry of the Orange Order, the sectarianism of the 'B' Specials, the UDR and RUC?. This gerrymandered sectarian hovel called Northern Ireland which was governed by a 'Protestant Parliament for a Protestant people' was a blight on civilised society. No mention of the disgraceful display of child abuse witnessed worldwide at Holy Cross girls school, or the equally repulsive spectacle at Harryville Catholic Church. The difference between the acts of republican violence and loyalist violence was the fact that much of the unionist violence was perpetrated by so called security forces or with their knowledge. Unlike Mr Fitzgerald, I abhor and condemn all acts of terror, regardless of who perpetrates them. I do however believe that those who held positions of elected political power in the North, like the Unionists did for 50 years, must shoulder most of the responsibility for the 3,500 deaths refered to by Mr Fitzgerald. We have had more than enough attempts by British propagandists like Mr Fitzgerald to re-write the recent history of this island. Bigotry is expressed in many forms.

#3 A.Tomás commented, on October 25, 2009 at 10:53 p.m.:

Does anyone hate it when people write these very general letters?

It's like saying "save the trees" at a rock concert. I suppose the letter writer thinks people are not aware of the atrocities of the IRA.

The number of 3,500 includes the people murdered by the British forces and loyalist terrorists (the same in some atrocities).

M. Fitzgerald is ignorant and this letter is fit for a British ignorant paper (or for the Indo).

If Irish people were against the pogroms, the British forces and the loyalist terrorists as much as they were against the IRA, there would be no IRA Maurice!

The British terrorised people to keep them subordinated, to save face and to keep the North. Quite like the IRA really, but then Maurice is too much of a coward to admit this.
I wonder is he related to Garret.

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