Post by Harry on Oct 2, 2007 8:14:27 GMT
Speaking in the Assembly on a motion condemning all attacks on Orange Halls and calling on all political parties to use their influence to stop such sectarian attacks, UUP Newry and Armagh MLA Danny Kennedy said,
“I welcome this important debate and at the outset, I am proud to confirm that I am a member of the Orange Order from County Armagh.
It cannot have escaped the attention of everyone in this Assembly that this motion is being debated on 9/11, the anniversary of the appalling attacks on the USA, which ushered in a new and terrible age of world terrorism. This new age of terrorism began at a time when we thought our own terrorist troubles were coming to a close.
The very clear evidence of continuing sectarian bigotry, which manifests itself in attacks on Orange Halls is so unacceptable. Attacks on Orange Halls represent an attempt by Republicans to intimidate, bully and threaten the Unionist and Protestant cultural tradition, and they are entirely out of place in an age and under a new dispensation when all cultural traditions should be mutually respected and equally valued. It is the policy of “Brits Out” taken to one of its most extreme forms. That is just not on.
There must be no tolerance shown towards the people who carry out these attacks. It doesn’t take much common sense to see that these attacks could cost us some of the prosperity this Province is entitled to after so many long, hard years of conflict. We must not and cannot allow the mindless cave men and women who carry out such attacks any opportunity to jeopardise the relative peace we now enjoy. Their actions have no place in a decent society.
That is why there is no reason to protect the people who carry out these attacks. They are dangerous people and they need to be apprehended, caught and convicted and jailed for a long term. Communities must not shield them and republican political leaders must demonstrate their credibility as peacemakers by using every effort to have those responsible handed over to the lawful authorities – the PSNI.
That means that all the community influence which a political party wields, and in some cases, that is considerable, must be used in having these attacks on Orange Halls stopped for good. None of us can be half-in and half-out of this process, supporting law and order only when it suits us and not just when it doesn’t upset some of our supporters. There is nothing more insidious and damaging to the whole political process here than a partial application of the principles of law and order.
Make no mistake about it the world is watching. It is observing. Every attack on an Orange Hall, every sectarian incident is logged by overseas investors. It is still reported in the world’s press in places sometimes that seem unlikely to us. The eyes that are scrutinising these events are not casual observers, they are potential investors. When they ask questions – like has the trouble really stopped? – then we better sit up and listen.
We cannot afford a society which is frayed around the edges with the residue of lawlessness hanging over from the troubled past. There must be no harming our potential to attract inward investment
The best way to effectively marginalise individuals or groups who indulge in these attacks on Orange Halls is by informing the Police. That is the way to deal with such activities. For the nationalist / republican community to do this would help build a lasting peace and would help convince the unionist-minded community that they are sincere about a shared future.
We need action from Sinn Fein – not words
No-one who wants peace and order in a new shared-future society will want these attacks continuing. The many hundreds of attacks over the years, which bizarrely accelerated after the original IRA ceasefire leading right up to the attacks this summer do nothing to create a just society or a lasting peace.
Few things annoy the Unionist people more than the deliberate act of malicious damage against their Orange Halls which effectively serve as community halls, whether in Carnagh or Crosskeys or Mullinture as happened this summer in my constituency, or Seagoe, the most recently destroyed hall in Co Armagh. I say to republicans in particular, stop burning our Orange Halls, start building real peace.”
“I welcome this important debate and at the outset, I am proud to confirm that I am a member of the Orange Order from County Armagh.
It cannot have escaped the attention of everyone in this Assembly that this motion is being debated on 9/11, the anniversary of the appalling attacks on the USA, which ushered in a new and terrible age of world terrorism. This new age of terrorism began at a time when we thought our own terrorist troubles were coming to a close.
The very clear evidence of continuing sectarian bigotry, which manifests itself in attacks on Orange Halls is so unacceptable. Attacks on Orange Halls represent an attempt by Republicans to intimidate, bully and threaten the Unionist and Protestant cultural tradition, and they are entirely out of place in an age and under a new dispensation when all cultural traditions should be mutually respected and equally valued. It is the policy of “Brits Out” taken to one of its most extreme forms. That is just not on.
There must be no tolerance shown towards the people who carry out these attacks. It doesn’t take much common sense to see that these attacks could cost us some of the prosperity this Province is entitled to after so many long, hard years of conflict. We must not and cannot allow the mindless cave men and women who carry out such attacks any opportunity to jeopardise the relative peace we now enjoy. Their actions have no place in a decent society.
That is why there is no reason to protect the people who carry out these attacks. They are dangerous people and they need to be apprehended, caught and convicted and jailed for a long term. Communities must not shield them and republican political leaders must demonstrate their credibility as peacemakers by using every effort to have those responsible handed over to the lawful authorities – the PSNI.
That means that all the community influence which a political party wields, and in some cases, that is considerable, must be used in having these attacks on Orange Halls stopped for good. None of us can be half-in and half-out of this process, supporting law and order only when it suits us and not just when it doesn’t upset some of our supporters. There is nothing more insidious and damaging to the whole political process here than a partial application of the principles of law and order.
Make no mistake about it the world is watching. It is observing. Every attack on an Orange Hall, every sectarian incident is logged by overseas investors. It is still reported in the world’s press in places sometimes that seem unlikely to us. The eyes that are scrutinising these events are not casual observers, they are potential investors. When they ask questions – like has the trouble really stopped? – then we better sit up and listen.
We cannot afford a society which is frayed around the edges with the residue of lawlessness hanging over from the troubled past. There must be no harming our potential to attract inward investment
The best way to effectively marginalise individuals or groups who indulge in these attacks on Orange Halls is by informing the Police. That is the way to deal with such activities. For the nationalist / republican community to do this would help build a lasting peace and would help convince the unionist-minded community that they are sincere about a shared future.
We need action from Sinn Fein – not words
No-one who wants peace and order in a new shared-future society will want these attacks continuing. The many hundreds of attacks over the years, which bizarrely accelerated after the original IRA ceasefire leading right up to the attacks this summer do nothing to create a just society or a lasting peace.
Few things annoy the Unionist people more than the deliberate act of malicious damage against their Orange Halls which effectively serve as community halls, whether in Carnagh or Crosskeys or Mullinture as happened this summer in my constituency, or Seagoe, the most recently destroyed hall in Co Armagh. I say to republicans in particular, stop burning our Orange Halls, start building real peace.”
