Don’t engage with the Ireland’s Future campaign group

In advocating engagement with the campaign group ‘Ireland’s Future’, Arnold Carton suggests that unionists have nothing to lose by “engaging and talking with Irish nationalism” (‘Far from us following Israel’s response to terrorism, they should follow ours,’ May 24) and may in fact benefit from their “constructive criticism” of unionism.

I strongly disagree. To my knowledge, the aforementioned group has only one objective: the destruction of the Union.

I see no reason why any unionist would want to give a veneer of respectability to an organisation dedicated to eradicating Northern Ireland. Indeed, I would go further and caution that unionists who do engage with those campaigning for a united Ireland risk being exploited and used in propaganda to promote a narrative that ‘enlightened’ unionists can see a future within a United Ireland. There is no future for NI’s British citizens within a united Ireland.

It is often quoted that ‘the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour’ and with this in mind I invite Mr Carton to reflect on the dramatic decline in the Protestant population of Eire post partition and to read the deeply moving articles featured in the News Letter concerning the families forced to flee Cork after the 1922 Dunmanway murders.

The interests of Northern Ireland’s citizens are best served within the Union and no amount of propaganda or spin will alter this reality.

Thomas Smyth, Belfast BT4

Far from us following Israel’s response to terrorism, they should follow ours