Letter: For Northern Ireland to work both communities need to be kind to the other

If both partners in a marriage/civil partnership prioritise their agenda to the exclusion of the other's and adopt a combative uncompromising stance then the relationship is doomed to failure. Fortunately divorce affords an escape route. However that option is not available to both communities in Northern Ireland as neither is going away. Several years ago my then 15-year-old son watched his first ‘discussion’ among Northern Ireland politicians. He was convinced it was a satirical skit as they constantly interrupted and talked over each other.

He remarked that what they were clearly signalling was, "I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in your opinions but you are jolly well going to listen to mine".

Even when they allowed another to speak it was blatantly obvious they weren't listening as they were instead concentrating on what they were going to say next, so rather than a proper conversation what we had was intersecting monologues. It is ironic that an anti-partitionist party says they want to make Northern Ireland work whereas the biggest pro-Union one doesn't want to operate politics.

Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. The only viable alternative is for both communities to be kind to the other and to make life tolerable for everyone. However if that penny hasn't dropped in 400 years don't hold your breath.

Gerard O'Boyle, Devon