UNIONISTS must be proud of the Twelfth and all that it represents, according to DUP MLA Norah Beare.
The Lagan Valley MLA wants to see Protestants shake off any controversy surrounding the Battle of the Boyne commemorations and celebrate the Twelfth for the community festival it is.
She also stressed that those attempting to deride the Twelfth an
d stop unionists from embracing their cultural background must be ignored.
"There are those in recent years who have tried to turn the Twelfth period into something controversial and to make unionist culture appear as something shameful which is a burden to Northern Ireland," she said.
"However, for unionists the Twelfth means something very different.
"It is great to see families coming together and spending time with each other in this cause.
"When there is so much focus today on antisocial behaviour, isn't it also fantastic to see young out with old parading in a disciplined fashion, taking pride in their appearance and enjoying real musical talent which is a product of years of practice and commitment? Are those not qualities we should encourage?
"As unionists, we can respect other cultures but we will hold our heads high and proudly defend our own traditions," she added.
