Question an Irish Republican

why has violence returned to Ulster recently ?

http://www.lisburntoday.co.uk/news/lisburn-news/givan-sorrow-after-prison-officer-dies-1-7284125

Reply 2

OP

Original post by the bear

why has violence returned to Ulster recently ?http://www.lisburntoday.co.uk/news/lisburn-news/givan-sorrow-after-prison-officer-dies-1-7284125

Violence has never left the Six Counties.
These incidents are fairly regular, a bomb or a shooting every few months, but it is far quieter than it used to be.

Some republicans - and many loyalists - refuse to conform to the times. The current political framework has allowed for the pursuit of Irish republican goals through peaceful, democratic means.

Reply 3

tengentoppa

What was/is your take on the Good Friday Agreement? Was securing peace the most important thing? Do you still harbour hope of a United Ireland?

What do you make of the Northern Ireland assembly and its seeming failure to achieve much or agree on everything?

What is your stance on abortion?

Reply 4

Original post by DMcGovern

Violence has never left the Six Counties.
These incidents are fairly regular, a bomb or a shooting every few months, but it is far quieter than it used to be.

Some republicans - and many loyalists - refuse to conform to the times. The current political framework has allowed for the pursuit of Irish republican goals through peaceful, democratic means.

How much damage did Freddie Scappaticci do to PIRA ?

Reply 5

OP

Original post by tengentoppa

What was/is your take on the Good Friday Agreement? Was securing peace the most important thing? Do you still harbour hope of a United Ireland?

The Good Friday Agreement was a necessary agreement, although there was not much changed content from the Sunningdale or Anglo-Irish Agreements, and all 3 were opposed by unionists, the last 2 thrown out by them.

What do you make of the Northern Ireland assembly and its seeming failure to achieve much or agree on everything?

It's necessary for the time, and far better than direct rule or the oppressive former Stormont Government of NI. It doesn't disagree on everything, a lot of decent legislation has been passed like the "free prescription drugs" legislation, but every once in a while the DUP will throw a fit and leave for a while, before coming back.

What is your stance on abortion?

I personally have mixed views. I believe all life is precious and shouldn't be thrown away at a whim, but I believe in people's rights to do what they want with their bodies.
So basically I believe abortion should only be allowed in cases where the mother or child are at risk to mental or physical injury or death if born, and in cases of fatal foetal abnormality.

Reply 6

OP

Original post by the bear

How much damage did Freddie Scappaticci do to PIRA ?

Not a lot - I believe Martin McGartland did a larger amount of damage to their operations, and I sympathise with his beliefs, more so after reading his books - he just wanted the killing and beatings to end - the 'hard men' of the PIRA punishment gangs were of the lowest echelons in the Provisional movement, and not respected by many in the upper echelons, such as the ASUs, Brigades and so on.

Reply 7

Original post by DMcGovern

Not a lot - I believe Martin McGartland did a larger amount of damage to their operations, and I sympathise with his beliefs, more so after reading his books - he just wanted the killing and beatings to end - the 'hard men' of the PIRA punishment gangs were of the lowest echelons in the Provisional movement, and not respected by many in the upper echelons, such as the ASUs, Brigades and so on.

thank you for your intelligent answers to my questions.

Reply 8

OP

Original post by the bear

thank you for your intelligent answers to my questions.

No problem - nice to have some intelligent questions once in a while :tongue:

Usually it's just "why are you a terrorist sympathiser" and "do you think these babykillers were heroes" - I mean seriously, calm down :biggrin:

Reply 9

OP

Original post by the bear

thank you for your intelligent answers to my questions.

Coincidentally, have you voted in the TSR General Election?

Reply 10

Original post by DMcGovern

Coincidentally, have you voted in the TSR General Election?

i don't think i have been invited ? :dontknow:

Reply 11

OP

Original post by the bear

i don't think i have been invited ? :dontknow:

Ach you don't need to be invited, it's meant to be for all TSR users!

Note that the parties are in no way related to the RL ones, so they should be voted for on the merit of their manifestos (i.e. vote socialist :tongue:

)

Here:
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=4012053

Reply 12

L i b

19

Original post by DMcGovern

It doesn't disagree on everything, a lot of decent legislation has been passed like the "free prescription drugs" legislation

Why do you support free prescriptions when it essentially takes millions of pounds out of the health service to pay for prescriptions for people who can afford them anyway?

I am assuming the figures, with the same exemptions, will have been similar to Scotland: before prescriptions were made free there, over half of people were exempt from charges in one way or another, and over 90% of prescriptions were dispensed with no charge.

[And yes, I'm enjoying doing this entirely on boring bread-and-butter politics rather than constitutional issues!]

Reply 13

OP

Original post by L i b

Why do you support free prescriptions when it essentially takes millions of pounds out of the health service to pay for prescriptions for people who can afford them anyway?

I am assuming the figures, with the same exemptions, will have been similar to Scotland: before prescriptions were made free there, over half of people were exempt from charges in one way or another, and over 90% of prescriptions were dispensed with no charge.

[And yes, I'm enjoying doing this entirely on boring bread-and-butter politics rather than constitutional issues!]

I think it complements the idea of a free National Health Service well, although I'm not insisting that it be part of a nationalised service like the NHS in a large country like England.

Reply 14

OP

Original post by L i b

Why do you support free prescriptions when it essentially takes millions of pounds out of the health service to pay for prescriptions for people who can afford them anyway?

I am assuming the figures, with the same exemptions, will have been similar to Scotland: before prescriptions were made free there, over half of people were exempt from charges in one way or another, and over 90% of prescriptions were dispensed with no charge.

[And yes, I'm enjoying doing this entirely on boring bread-and-butter politics rather than constitutional issues!]

Note that I never said I supported it, I meant that it was 'decent legislation' in that Stormont can actually get some significant legislation through without descending into "five year olds fighting in a sandpit".

Reply 15

adam9317

15

@DMcGovern would you like a chicken supper mr sands?

Reply 16

OP

Original post by adam9317

@DMcGovern would you like a chicken supper mr sands?

"No thanks a chara I'm on hunger strike until Mrs Thatcher decides to reverse her decision and restore our rights per political status. This is only happening because she wants to deny what is really going on in her 'country': a war."Really? Of all people adam... tut tut tut. That's the equivalent of that song "Would you like a cheeseburger Bobby Sands". You don't see us doing that about the loyalists. Nor do we have an equivalent of "The Famine Song".Did they have any hunger strikers?

Reply 17

adam9317

15

Original post by DMcGovern

"No thanks a chara I'm on hunger strike until Mrs Thatcher decides to reverse her decision and restore our rights per political status. This is only happening because she wants to deny what is really going on in her 'country': a war."Really? Of all people adam... tut tut tut. That's the equivalent of that song "Would you like a cheeseburger Bobby Sands". You don't see us doing that about the loyalists. Nor do we have an equivalent of "The Famine Song".Did they have any hunger strikers?

All in good humour my friend.

I did have to google it and found chicken supper, cheeseburger and sausage supper as different variants!

Reply 18

OP