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ALEX KANE: I won’t be saying sorry to SF

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SINN Fein Easter statements (which are, in reality, their equivalent of the Groundhog Day hoopla) usually fall into five distinct categories: the mythological; the delusionally self-serving; the ‘honestly, unification really is just around the corner’ mantra; the predictably barking; and the howling at the full-moon lunatic.

Mind you, Gerry Adams has created an entirely new category this year – the big, fat, lie-based rewriting of republican strategy.

Let’s deal with his offensive nonsense first. Last week he set out his seven-step plan towards Irish unity

• to popularise reunification as viable, achievable and in the best interests of all and to build consensus for this;

• to encourage all non-unionist political parties and sections of civic society to become persuaders and actors for reunification;

• to convince a section of unionist opinion that their identity, self-interest and quality of life will be best served, secured and guaranteed in a united Ireland;

• to challenge those who would seek to maintain the status quo;

• to ensure the Irish government act on the constitutional imperative of reunification;

• to encourage the British government to become persuaders for reunification;

• to build on international political and practical support for reunification drawing in particular on the support and influence of the diaspora

It is, of course, utter twaddle, the most cynically relevant of which is his admission that he need only “convince a section of unionist opinion”.

But what makes it thoroughly reprehensible is the brutal fact that he makes no mention of, nor apology for the previous seven-step plan. Do you even remember it, Mr Adams, or have you just air-brushed it away?

• create a ‘Provisional’ IRA in 1969;

• bomb large parts of Northern Ireland;

• Institute a campaign of genocide against ‘border’ unionists/Protestants;

• Target and assassinate security forces;

• Destroy the economic infrastructure of Northern Ireland;

• Terrorise British governments into agreeing to a unilateral withdrawal;

• Finally, realise you can’t win by bullying unionists into submission so try and justify your previous atrocities by congenital lying and a born-again ‘concern’ for the rights and status of ‘a section’ of unionists

Meanwhile, Martin McGuinness was telling another bunch of republican shroud-wavers that rather than bomb unionists into surrender “we seek a united Ireland in which the unionist section of our people feel comfortable and play a full part in the life of the nation. I believe that it is possible for unionists and republicans to stand together without dilution of our beliefs”.

Maybe Martin should abandon the tired old rhetoric and, instead, remove the hearing aids and blinkers from his increasingly doolally audience and explain to them how, precisely, unionist beliefs would not be diluted in a united Ireland!

Let’s keep it slow and simple for any Sinn Fein supporters and strategists reading this (and there are more of them dropping in here than you would imagine).

A united Ireland represents the death knell for unionism. Republicans can remain republicans in Northern Ireland, for they have always something to aim for and reunification would represent an ultimate victory for them.

And even in the absence of reunification their political/constitutional agenda is encouraged and accommodated within the structures of the ongoing Good Friday/St Andrews agreements.

But once you have a united Ireland then there is nothing left for unionists – for they will not be given the option of periodic referendums to undo the decision and return to the United Kingdom. Their political/constitutional agenda will not be protected, let alone encouraged in a united Ireland. Their social/cultural/historical values will be wiped away in a united Ireland. There will be no place for unionism in a united Ireland because there can be no place for unionism in a united Ireland.

And in yet another part of the still partitioned Ireland, Sinn Fein’s national chairman Declan Kearney – who wants us all to say sorry to each other – was telling another graveside audience of the “need to keep moving the peace process into new phases and onto new ground because national reconciliation is integral to our strategic project”.

Let me decode the language and explain the strategy. Sinn Fein will say sorry, but only if unionists say sorry. Sorry, in Sinn Fein’s self-penned dictionary, is a word which, when heard from a unionist, allows them to justify and rationalise the IRA’s terror campaign: “The very fact that you are now apologising means that we were right to fight your oppression. It was your fault all along.”

“National reconciliation” has nothing to do with the people or parties across Ireland. In Sinn Fein’s dictionary the phrase means geographical and constitutional unity. No more and no less.

It means the destruction of Northern Ireland as a separate identity and the destruction of unionism as a political/philosophical belief. No more and no less. Sinn Fein does not respect unionism.

It cannot promise to respect and value the unionist tradition within a united Ireland, because, as I say, unionism cannot and will not be allowed to survive within a united Ireland.

Adams, McGuinness and Kearney are all saying exactly the same thing: albeit that the nuance may be tweaked depending on audience and location.

What’s not entirely clear, though, is whom they are really trying to fool with this orchestrated guff.

Their own core vote – who must be wondering how the link-up with the DUP advances unity?

The republican dissidents – increasing numbers of whom seem to believe that Sinn Fein has been outmanoeuvred?

A section of unionism – which may possibly be willing to believe that a united Ireland really would solve all of Ireland’s difficulties?

Or an untapped vote south of the border which might be willing to support Sinn Fein if it looks and sounds sincere and apologetic?

Only a few key people in Sinn Fein know the real purpose of this latest strategy. But I’m pretty certain about one thing: the language may have become softer, but it’s just as loaded and deadly as the bombs and bullets it now replaces.

Their war against the union, unionists, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom is still ongoing.

This is one columnist and one unionist who won’t be saying “sorry” to Sinn Fein and who will never reconcile himself to the fundamental dishonesty, immorality and hypocrisy that continues to underpin their view of Northern Ireland and those of us who remain the constitutional majority. Enough is enough.


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