Ireland: Politicians not welcome at massacre memorial service (Families of IRA victims make request)

The Belfast Telegraph ^ | Januray 6, 2007 | Claire McNeilly

[Stoat]

Politicians not welcome at massacre memorial service

[Published: Saturday 6, January 2007 - 09:21]

By Claire McNeilly

Ulster politicians were yesterday absent from an annual memorial service after victims' group FAIR asked them to stay away.

More than 30 relatives of the victims gathered at the site of the IRA Kingsmill massacre in order to commemorate those who perished 31 years ago.

The short 15-minute service took place at 11am at the site of the 10 killings, half-a-mile from the village of Whitecross, Co Armagh.

FAIR spokesman Willie Frazer said that both the prospect of Sinn Fein in government and concerns over victims' issues led to a number of families objecting to political representation at yesterday's service.

"Around 30 people turned up to pay their respects this morning, but others didn't come because they still feel too intimidated to attend," he said. "A number of families felt that they didn't want any political parties present this year, so we asked them not to come.

"Politicians have been present in the past, but this year we asked them not to attend because we believe they have a lot of work to do and many important issues to resolve before they can face the victims' families.

"Not only Kingsmill victims, but a lot of victims of terrorism feel that we are in the same position now as we were 31 years ago."

Ten Protestant textile workers - all men -were shot dead in the massacre.

They were returning home from work in a mini-bus.

"We don't believe in this whole push to get Sinn Fein into policing.

"Policing isn't up for negotiation.

"People should automatically accept law and order," Mr Frazer said.

"We have nothing against any individual politician, but victims were told to stand their ground and keep their spirit - they've done that, but all they see is the terrorists being rewarded.

"This was probably one of the worst atrocities of the Troubles, given the circumstances.

"We hope an investigation into it - and all the others - will start soon."

[Stoat]

Background on the Kingsmill Massacre:

Kingsmill massacre - Google Search

**************************************

As we all read of the daily carnage and atrocities brought about by terrorism in the Middle East, let us not forget that the people of Ireland have suffered greatly from terrorism as well, and they continue to suffer to this day.

They are far from being healed.

Please say a prayer for the good people of Ireland, that their terror victims may rest in peace and that the victims' families may find hope in the midst of their grief.

[mgstarr]

Back in the late 80's, I used to correspond with IRA member Joe Doherty when he was at MDC New York.

That any rational person would support Sinn Fein/IRA is beyond me.

[Shimmer128]

sad ping

[Stoat]

It may possibly be surprising that some time ago I encountered a firebreathing IRA supporter right here on a Free Republic thread. He went on and on about how they are freedom fighters and all, and he wouldn't shut up until I gently reminded him that it would be silly to think that Government law enforcement agencies don't ever monitor FR threads, particularly those pertaining to terrorism, and how it would be even sillier to think that they couldn't trace the origin and physical address of a poster if they really wanted to.

There is a lot of sickness in this world, but there is also a tremendous amount of Goodness. My all-too-short visit to Ireland impressed upon me, among other things, how absolutely wonderful, kind and good the people of Ireland are. The fact that they have been subjected to such breathtaking misery is one of the more profound injustices of our time.

[mgstarr]

I've encountered them here also, and not just one.

Joe was kind enough to give me a bunch of Marxist literature from the IRA before I told him my views on the Irish question. That's when we stopped corresponding.

[PAR35]

Let's not forget that the IRA got substantial amounts of funding and support from democrats in the US.

[Stoat]

Very true, and that's one of the innumerable things that Dems need to atone for, and have yet to acknowledge in any substantive way.

[elmer fudd]

If he were talking about the IRA of 90 years ago he would have been right. At that time they were freedom fighters. Now they're just pinko, terrorist thugs. It's a pity too because the reunification of Ireland is a worthy cause.

[Stoat]

No, he was talking about the 'modern' IRA and Sinn Fein and he was a 'true believer'.

I notified FR management and I hope that he was expelled from the site....I never got a reply so I don't know if he was.

[jordan8]

Terrible to be sure. A little background the Telegraph inadvertently left out: on January 4th, 1976, the day before this event, five Catholics were killed in two separate attacks in South Armagh by Protestant paramilitaries. The bus attack was probably carried out in retaliation by the local Armagh unit of the IRA acting on their own. These sectarian attacks ceased in the area after that as Protestants were extremely vulnerable to this sort of tit for tat violence in Armagh. These situations are often tragic but they are seldom simple.

[Stoat]

Nobody here has ever suggested that anything about the Troubles are or were 'simple' but I also have zero interest in equivocating, and some things are clear.

The IRA were and are evil, terrorist thugs and I hope that they will all rot in jail and then in Hell.

The victims of Kingsmill deserve considerably more than equivocating their murderers as being a morally equal force to duly appointed and legally sanctioned law enforcement.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Thanks Shimmer128 for the ping! :)

mgstarr: That any rational person would support Sinn Fein/IRA is beyond me.

Stoat: It may possibly be surprising that some time ago I encountered a firebreathing IRA supporter right here on a Free Republic thread.

Was it kellynla? Or ex snook? I'm getting sick of these IRA trolls infiltrating a conservative website - they're not fooling anybody by pretending to be conservative on other threads. Why do the Mods tolerate these shills??

Ireland Ping!

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Post #12 applies to you too - you defended the MURDER of British soldiers by the IRA before!!

[Irish_Thatcherite]

I notified FR management and I hope that he was expelled from the site....I never got a reply so I don't know if he was.

While I have hit the Abuse button on some that were immediately banned, it seems the bulk of Sinn Fein/IRA apologists are allowed free reign on this site - on two occassions the mod came down on me for daring to tangle with kellynla!

[aculeus]

Thanks for the ping.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Welcome... I hope I don't get the zot for my comments on this thread! ;)

[Godwin1]

The IRA were and are a sectarian murder gang that sought--somewhat successfully--to ethnically cleanse border areas of Protestant farmers and families. In the USA, the IRA won the propaganda battle--while the Bloody Sunday killing of IRA supporters has been endlessly cited, distorted and commemorated in film and book, the equally bloody IRA massacre of Protestant civilians in Enniskillen (1987)is largely unknown here. Politicians as varied as Senators Moynihan and Kennedy,President Clinton, Rep Peter King and Rudy Guiliani fawned over these sectarian murderers whose stated objective was a socialist, Gaelic speaking Ireland. Guiliani named New York street for IRA killer Joe Doherty, after waging a hysterical campaign to prevent Doherty's deportation. If "America's Mayor" decides to run for president, we need remember that his committment to fight terrorists came rather late in the day.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Good reason not to support Guilliani!

[Stoat]

Thanks very much for coming to this thread and for pinging your list!

Was it kellynla? Or ex snook?

The screen name kellynla rings a bell of recognition with me but I can't be sure if this is the same person that I encountered, as it was well over a year ago.

I'm getting sick of these IRA trolls infiltrating a conservative website - they're not fooling anybody by pretending to be conservative on other threads.

Agreed.  I can't believe that they think they will change any minds to their way of thinking at a site like this....my hope is that we are all reading from pretty much the same book here, so to speak, and so the only thing that they are doing is wasting their own time and exposing themselves even further to law enforcement authorities.

Why do the Mods tolerate these shills??

The Mods' rationales for doing what they do have often been confusing to me.  On the one hand I sincerely appreciate their efforts at ridding the site of obvious Leftists and trolls, but on the other hand they have frequently re-categorized obvious News articles that I've posted over to General Chat, where they tend to die an un-heroic death.  When I've asked why they did this in that particular instance I've never gotten a reply.  A failure to ban IRA supporters is another confusing thing, as they are quick to ban consistent bashers of President Bush but seem unwilling to ban those who advocate the support of  the IRA, a known and recognized terrorist group.  Last time I checked, openly supporting a terrorist organization was against the law, or so I thought.

I notified FR management and I hope that he was expelled from the site....I never got a reply so I don't know if he was.

While I have hit the Abuse button on some that were immediately banned, it seems the bulk of Sinn Fein/IRA apologists are allowed free reign on this site - on two occassions the mod came down on me for daring to tangle with kellynla!

Sorry to hear of this, and given our combined experiences with this sort of thing I am from now on going to forward the thread URL where people are openly and blatantly supporting the IRA or other terrorist organizations directly to the FBI..  Even if the perpetrators don't face immediate arrest due to the 'exercising of free speech' laws,  I have no doubt that the FBI would still be delighted to have information on a terrorist supporter to add to their databases for future use.

I found a convenient online form that will make such an information submission possible within seconds.

FBI Tips and Public Leads

Particularly since September 11, we have all been asked to be more vigilant in identifying and reporting suspicious activity.  I would personally consider an online poster who is passionately voicing support for the IRA to be just as much of a threat and just as much of a valid lead for the FBI as reporting to them that " I saw a group of Middle-Eastern-looking men hanging around the perimeter of a construction site for a new highrise office building downtown and taking pictures of the foundation and building supports infrastructure.".

Law enforcement has asked us to assist them in being their eyes and ears, and this is one arena in which we can all help.

 

I notified FR management and I hope that he was expelled from the site....I never got a reply so I don't know if he was.

While I have hit the Abuse button on some that were immediately banned, it seems the bulk of Sinn Fein/IRA apologists are allowed free reign on this site - on two occassions the mod came down on me for daring to tangle with kellynla!

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Thanks for your response, Stoat - I'm about to call it a night over here, so can't give your reply the attention it deserves tonight, you have made good points, so I'll respond to you in detail tomorrow! But, I will say it's a good idea to forward their posts to the FBI!

Goodnight, Stoat! :)