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Post by Wasp on Mar 21, 2008 9:41:48 GMT
Adams has failed his constituents, says pro-Sinn Féin columnist
Henry McDonald
guardian.co.uk, Thursday March 20 2008
'Squinter' describes Adams as the 'Oprah Winfrey of Irish-America'. Photograph: Peter Muhly
An unprecedented attack was launched today on the Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, in a west Belfast newspaper normally known to be fiercely loyal to the area's MP and the republican movement.
"Squinter", a columnist with the pro-Sinn Féin Andersonstown News, said that Adams is in part to blame for an upsurge in crime within the republican-dominated constituency.
The charge is significant because the paper has been a strong supporter of Adams and his political project for decades.
In the column, "Squinter", who is in fact the brother of a Provisional IRA icon, criticised Adams for failing to tackle the crime issue in west Belfast.
Commenting on the murder last year of local shopkeeper Harry Holland and latterly the killing of ex-IRA prisoner Frank McGreevy last weekend, "Squinter" wrote: "Who's to blame for the failure to press home the Harry Holland momentum? Gerry Adams is to blame, that's who.
"He's not the only one to blame, of course. But Gerry Adams is the MP, has been for 20 years. He's supposed to know how to marshal and direct; he's supposed to give us the ideas and the leadership; he's supposed to make things better.
"When he asks for, and gets, our votes he accepts a host of very onerous responsibilities, and the most basic of those responsibilities is to make his constituency a good place for decent people to live and for parents to bring up their families. In that he has failed terribly."
The republican writer who has been a strong supporter of Adams and Sinn Féin in the past said the west Belfast MP should "shoulder his share of the blame for the mess we're in and stop blaming everybody else".
He said: "Squinter has to say that he has never heard Adams accepting any responsibility for the fact that large parts of his constituency are no-go areas."
In language unthinkable of the pro-republican newspaper even a year ago, "Squinter" described Adams as the "Oprah Winfrey of Irish-America" adding that come the next election he will "stay in the house in solidarity with those w ho are staying in their homes simply because they're afraid to leave".
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Post by Jim on Mar 21, 2008 11:06:07 GMT
There is a massive crime problem in West Belfast at the minute. Huge, I hate the place and can't wait to get out of it
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Post by Wasp on Mar 21, 2008 11:11:06 GMT
Unfortunately in todays world there is a softly softly approach to criminals both in the courts and at times by the police. Another way to look at it is that these young people have been told for years to hate the police, not to support the police, told to attack them during riots and protests, and now they are told to support law and order.
Complete contradiction in terms and that just isn't west Belfast or republican areas, it is all areas on bothsides and all to often we reap what we sow.
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Post by Jim on Mar 21, 2008 12:29:51 GMT
I think its ironic that this is normality.
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Post by earl on Mar 21, 2008 16:08:13 GMT
Unfortunately in todays world there is a softly softly approach to criminals both in the courts and at times by the police. Another way to look at it is that these young people have been told for years to hate the police, not to support the police, told to attack them during riots and protests, and now they are told to support law and order. Complete contradiction in terms and that just isn't west Belfast or republican areas, it is all areas on bothsides and all to often we reap what we sow. One way of looking at it all right, and is a very good point. But since it's not just West Belfast in this state, we'd have to conclude that while it contributes, it's not the main reason. Education, opportunity and a decent wage is the only way to tackle crime. People who have something to lose generally don't behave in this manner. It'll take years of hard work from the devolved government to try and help improve urban life in NI. |
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Post by Jim on Mar 21, 2008 19:41:16 GMT
Doesnt work too well in England, its just as bad over there.
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Post by Wasp on Mar 21, 2008 22:10:50 GMT
I agree Earl and it certainly isn't just west Belfast. Sadly the sectarian element is alive and well throughout the province in quite a number of areas. The chuckle brothers and how good things come out of Stormont is not the real situation.
Now there are many areas where someones religion or background doesn't matter, infact loads of areas but these areas don't make the headlines the way Protestant/Catholic school kids getting a police escort to school, homes being attacked, people being attacked because of their religion etc etc.
Take the parades issue, now if they bring down the peace walls etc and people were to live together then their will always be the element who now live in a predominately loyalist area who will object to any type of march. This is only one example, there are many many more at why some sections of our communities would rather keep the divides. My own nephew and niece(one of which won trophies for Irish dancing) cannot go by bus to school in a mainly Protestant town, they have to go by taxi or their parents. The reason for this is that the bus goes past a republican area and some(note I said some) of the Catholic school children who get on have verbally abused, spat at and physically attacked Protestant kids on the bus. Now this happens to bothsides before anyone accuses me of being onesided and if anything things are getting worse.
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Post by Wasp on Mar 22, 2008 20:52:45 GMT
Giving them something to do for starters, something that doesn't cost money because alot of young people have no money. Those with influence such as sinn fein and other republicans stop promoting hatred and intolerance of anything British.
the ira for years led the security forces into many traps by making false calls so it is hardly surprizing that the security forces can and will take their safety into consideration before answering a call. This needs to be addressed along with tougher sentences, counselling for drug/alchohl abuse etc.
Both communities need to come together and address their part in causing these present problems and then address the way out of it, maybe then more will listen to elected reps.
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Post by Jim on Mar 22, 2008 21:55:20 GMT
A bullet in the fucking head, dirty wee shites.
Seriously though, this is our normality, we are catching up with what its like in the south and what its like in england and in scotland.
I can't see wee janty selling e's in the back alley across the road giving a bollox about sinn fein and their anti-britishness. Are you having a laugh Wasp.
Can't blame this one on republicans, but thats all you seem to do anyway these days. Its a social problem, its not about borders its not about religious divides its about skiving off jobs, selling drugs and breaking into houses and beating people stupid for a fiver.
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Post by Wasp on Mar 23, 2008 0:53:42 GMT
No Jim re-read my post, I clearly said
"Another way to look at it is that these young people have been told for years to hate the police, not to support the police, told to attack them during riots and protests, and now they are told to support law and order.
Complete contradiction in terms and that just isn't west Belfast or republican areas, it is all areas on bothsides and all to often we reap what we sow. "
Where do I only blame republcians?
Without going into too much detail I was up the falls and the surrounding area a few days ago. Those I was with are far from the Unionist community.One guy in particular along with his girlfriend told me that while their was much support for the ira, many people wanted them to stop their violence and let the police deal with policing issues.
They along with a few others said as much as they hate to admit it but no-one other than republicans are to blame for the lack of policing in republican areas. They told me they could write a book of those people who got a knock at the door for memrely being seen talking to the police.
These people are republicans and the girlfriend inparticular is probably as harline as anyone here and even she admitted sinn fein/ira are reaping their rewards for their tactics in ambushing the security forces, policing their own areas with brutal bullying tactics etc. Although I must add they agrred with alot of the punishmnet attacks but they were angry about how republicans used their position to intimidate and bully their own community.
BTW I eneded up in a bar adjacent to the New lodge area and I enjoyed the crack.
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Post by Jim on Mar 23, 2008 9:51:10 GMT
Those with influence such as sinn fein and other republicans stop promoting hatred and intolerance of anything British.
the ira for years led the security forces into many traps by making false calls so it is hardly surprizing that the security forces can and will take their safety into consideration before answering a call.
You're hardly praising them, are you?
We do want the IRA to stop the violence and they have done, but the police won't actually do anything, no one gets knocks on the door (not from the provos anyay) if they phone the police anymore those days are long gone. You phone the police now about hoods burning a car outside your door, your told to stay inside and wait on the police being sent out, they turn up an hour and a half later and have an expression on their faces saying "i couldnt give a shite". They take your name, address, description of who was there and drive off. Marvellous service.
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Post by Wasp on Mar 23, 2008 14:19:43 GMT
I agree with you to a point of the lack of police interest but its everywhere not just here. Although there are plenty of dedicated officers who are interested but they all too often take a back seat because of the other wage only interest.
You say the ira has stopped violence, Jim that is debateable considering some headline cases, but I agree the violence is nothing compared to what it was like. Apart from that people were threatened and attacked for years and years by republicans concerning the police, and the police were threatend and attacked for years and years by republicans in republican areas answering calls.
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Post by Jim on Mar 23, 2008 14:31:57 GMT
I'm not getting into headline cases we've done those already and its tiring, no ones been convicted and untill its very clear and proven the Provos were involved then I'll comment more about it.
Reading the papers today, loads of comments from ex-provos in regards to Bap McGreevys death and they're definitely angry at the SF leadership for siding with the police while the areas turn to shit but they're not going to go and get guns over it either those days are gone, at least of the vast vast majority of republicans, I can't talk about other republican groups because I dont know any of them and I don't care about them either.
You need to remember people didnt go to the police for more than just threats from the IRA who couldnt have them in the area, people didnt phone them (or rarely did) because they didnt want anything to do with them, a lot of people hated the RUC more than they hated the Brits walking through their streets. My family would have very rarely phoned the police, if they did it would be over a stolen car or embarrasingly, domestic violence in the family. Anything else and they'd have went to the IRA to do it because they got the job done, they got results and didnt just smirk behind a desk.
I honestly wouldnt say no to the IRA doing something about these scumbag hoods, drug dealers and now murderers, if it gets results I'd get the devil to do it. But it would kill the politics up here so it can't be done. The MPs and MLAs living in Malone and Bangor and out in the countryside would see it as a bad thing, but they arent the ones living through it, my family is.
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Post by Wasp on Mar 23, 2008 19:07:09 GMT
As much as I loathe sinn fein I understand the predicament they are in I suppose, well from a republcian perspective at least. IMO the only way for all this to turn around is for sinn fein to do basically what they are doing (leaving aside the fact that many blame sinn fein/ira for the lack of policing). More meetings between sinn fein and the local police to highlight the much needed policing rather than sinn fein continuing their condemnation of all things police, this IMO is leading to confusion within the republican community. If sinn fein make a proper stand, lead the way to encourage policing and support for the police then I believe results will be achieved. There is no room for claiming to support the police then condemning them at every turn.
Perhaps then all communities here can stand together and show the failings of those officers who are not interested in helping anyone apart from handing out speeding fines. When we all do our part including full support of the police and it achieves little then is the time to question the police and policing.
Fair enough but I think it is also fair to say people were scared to goto the police as well incase they get a knock at the door and end up in hospital or lying in some ditch. The ira made policing impossible in certain areas, they wanted to run the show and did so for years. Now they are reaping what they sowed.
I fully understand that completely.
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