Letter: Our Irish heritage is something to be embraced - it is an integral part of our nature
A letter from L Wallace:
As I listen to our political leaders I am disheartened by how misunderstood they must be with regards our Irish roots.
We all know and acknowledge that our Irish roots cannot be expunged from our history. For many of us our history is rooted in Ireland before the “plantation era”
My late parents who were born in Ireland before the country was partitioned held Irish birth certificates. This would be the same for all parents born in Ireland before the country was partitioned. (Check out your own background)
I cannot understand how we have become such a divided society. I despair because our Irish heritage is an integral part of our fundamental nature.
There is a wound in our society that cannot be healed by words alone. We can only treat this wound if we all acknowledge our shared history and become healers.
Our leaders should help us welcome our heritage and not deny this inherent aspect of our being as something to be afraid of and therefore to be denied.
Our political leaders should instead use their intellects to show that all residents in Northern Ireland, whether they claim Irish or British heritage, can be faithful unionists.
L Wallace, Newtownards