NY mayor should know about terror

Dear Mr Bill de Blasio,

This St Patrick’s Day in London the Ireland Rugby Team made sporting history by winning a ‘Grand Slam’ Six Nations Championship.

They did so standing shoulder to shoulder singing ‘Irelands Call,’ an anthem recognising the team consists of players from both countries and traditions on the Emerald Isle.

This respect flows from the Good Friday Agreement which being overwhelmingly endorsed at the ballot box on both sides of the border confirmed the way forward for Ireland – respect for all traditions and rooted in the principle of consent.

How sad therefore that you stand on the wrong side of history with Gerry Adams.

Mr Adams supported the campaign to try and usurp the principle of consent down the barrel of a gun —a campaign of bombing, maiming and murdering fellow Irishmen.

This was nothing short of a wicked tyranny imposed over a 30 year period for which he has never apologised.

As Mayor of New York City you should recognise terrorism when you see it but your moral compass may need adjusting.

You previously boycotted the St Patrick’s Day parade in support of gay rights but you now laud an apologist for the violence and murder campaign of the IRA.

You were previously unapologetic about your support in the 1980s for the Sandinistas in Nicaragua and chose Castro’s Cuba during the embargo for your honeymoon.

Good company then for Mr Adams.

I will let you condemn yourself in your own words, spoken last October regarding the truck attack in Manhattan. You would do well to reflect on these once more:

‘It’s a very painful day in our city, horrible tragedy on the west side. Let me be clear that based on the information we have at this moment this was an act of terror and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians, aimed at people going about their lives who had no idea what was about to hit them ... but we also know New Yorkers are strong, New Yorkers are resilient and our spirit will never be moved by an act of violence.’

Finally, it is not within your gift to rename St Patrick’s Day – it belongs to the good people of Ireland.

John McClements,

Co Down, Northern Ireland