Letter: Why should any unionist respect the tricolour, when republicans seek to eradicate unionism's tradition?

Welcome to Northern Ireland and I wish you well in your office. I am also sincerely pleased that Labour now forms the government of the UK (don’t forget, the majority of unionists would probably be Labour supporters in GB).

However, I was alarmed at your first comments on the Twelfth celebrations, condemning the burning of Irish tricolours on bonfires and demanding greater respect for the other tradition.

Alarm, because it so belittles and trivialises, sounds patronising and lacking in respect for unionists.

Why should any unionist respect the ‘tricolour’? It was the flag draped on the coffins of IRA terrorists who murdered unionists and British security forces.

It is the flag representing those who bombed and destroyed homes, livelihoods and Ulster’s economy. It is the flag that represents a state and tradition that has consistently attacked and denigrated unionists.

It is the flag that represents those who would destroy the Union and take away unionists’ heritage, identity and security. It is the flag that represents an alien culture that would deny the legitimacy of unionism’s culture and political being and destroy.

It is the flag that represents those who bombed, murdered and maimed British citizens across the UK, including seeking to murder your predecessors in office.

I could go on but, hopefully, you get the point.

Meanwhile, one heard no such respect the ‘traditions’ of unionists when republicans campaigned to remove the Union Jack or pictures of the late Queen from public buildings, only condemnation of unionists who opposed the move (2012-13).

Concurrently, one hears no apology from tricolour flaunting republicans for all the bombings, shootings, maimings, destroyed lives and livelihoods done in the name of their ‘tradition’ - ask the new MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone.

Next, Secretary of State, when you have time, watch the film on the IRA’s (1973) kidnapping of Mr Niedermayer – still unsolved, as are the vast majority of republican atrocities, or perhaps that’s just part of their ‘tradition’ we should respect.

Then look at just what kind of state the other ‘tradition’ represents. It’s ‘war of independence’ began with the murder of two unarmed Catholic, Gaelic speaking RIC policemen (Soloheadbeg, 1919).

Then it went on to pursue a terrorist campaign of murder and violence against unionists (Catholic and Protestant) throughout Ireland and GB, the origins of the modern IRA.

This ‘tradition’ has been maintained ever since.

Next, ask why it’s an almost exclusively Catholic’ tradition’, a Catholic Church that condemned liberal democracy, toleration, compromise, equality of different churches, rationalism freedom of expression and the press (the Pope’s Syllabus of Errors, 1864, containing 80 such errors).

This followed the 1849 Papal encyclical Nostis et Nobiscum condemning Protestants as heretics.

Finally, don’t forget the Catholic-nationalist attempts to destroy the Northern Ireland state after 1921 and then boycotting its institutions and refusing to take up opportunities offered to Catholics.

Thus, a third of RUC places were reserved for Catholics, but the highest uptake was only around one fifth.

The Catholic-nationalist elite threatened an outright boycott of integrated schools and teacher training, determined to remain apart and self-excluding – much to the disadvantage of ordinary Catholics.

So, Secretary of State – why should unionists respect the republican ‘tradition’ when they seek to eradicate unionism’s? Unfortunately, you are being led into a very partisan position by much liberal sounding rhetoric which will lose you the trust of unionists, whose support for the Belfast Agreement and trust in British governments has already collapsed.

James Dingley, former university lecturer and NATO instructor on terrorism