Unionists have only themselves to blame
David Barbour [Jan 13] '˜asked', 'are we [democrats] destined to keep Sinn Fein/IRA continuously in power as long as they return members to parliament.'
So it would seem. Furthermore, unionists may have only themselves to blame.
As Alex Kane [Jan 11] stated, “Sinn Fein have been forced to work within an ongoing partitionist settlement.”
Of course it is not just about Sinn Fein themselves alone. It concerns all “non-unionists”. And it goes back to the formation of the unionist state in 1921 through Britain’s 1920 Partition of Ireland Act.
To quote Alex: “I have accepted and acknowledged for most of my life that unionism was often its own worst enemy. That being the case I can understand why non-unionists [or even those who were just perceived as non-unionists and potential fifth columnists] had huge difficulties with the one party, one ideology state that existed from 1921 -- although I can also understand the reasons why the state took that form.”
In fairness to all concerned, a unionist state for unionist people should have been precisely that, strictly for unionists themselves alone.
As Jim Allister [Jan 13] stated at the end of his letter: “This indeed is the price being paid to sustain the “unseemly and immoral sham” that is Belfast Agreement devolution.”
Yes Jim, Ulster is British.
Malachy Scott, Belfast BT15