Union flag protests: Politicians must 'deal with issues'

Thomas_I

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-21312761

The Auxiliary Bishop of Down and Connor has said ...

"The presenting feelings are that we are angry about flags but there are other huge problems particularly in unionist working class, or benefit class areas, fragmentation lack of confidence about the future and unless we deal with those very, very serious issues like educational underachievement, and we have done that in the Catholic sector, then I think our politicians are letting down people and society, because we are paying millions to police public disorder rather than tackle the source of them."

I think that he´s right in that and I wonder why these protests are continueing just about that flag issue when there is far more under the surface which needs to be tackled.

From this article one can say that the pendulum of history has gone in the opposite direction. Where it the Catholics then to suffer far more than just what is stated above in quotation, the Protestants seems to facing similar problems, or is it just their perception?

Doesn´t these problems apply for many others across the Protestant communities in NI? I think that this might be the case. Therefore it´s rather necessary to tackle these problems by working together and leaving some "baggage" from the past behind.

GRMA

Baggage like triumphantalist displays of flags, I agree

Theres a myth going around that the protestant/unionist/loyalist working class areas are the worst but out of the 40 most deprived wards 38 are nationalist.

Its not an excuse for taking the piss over flags but tbh it seems to be fading now they are turning on themselves as per usual.

maccored

then I think our politicians are letting down people

thats the real issue there

Thomas_I

GRMA wrote: »

Baggage like triumphantalist displays of flags, I agree

Theres a myth going around that the protestant/unionist/loyalist working class areas are the worst but out of the 40 most deprived wards 38 are nationalist.

Its not an excuse for taking the piss over flags but tbh it seems to be fading now they are turning on themselves as per usual.

So you´re saying they´re making the usual fuss and it´s not so bad at all(?).

No official survey seems to be made to find out what´s wrong and how it can be improved. One is for sure, whether these allegations are exaggerated or not, it does have it´s social impact and sooner or later it might come to riots again. Even worse for the already damaged economy in NI during the past months. By all that "black and white thinking", the "grey-zone" and the "myths" seems to be bigger than one might think(?).

Yes, the "baggage like triumphalist displays of flags" should be left behind and better to concentrate on the things that really matter.

Thomas_I

maccored wrote: »

then I think our politicians are letting down people

thats the real issue there

That´s nothing particular for NI, that´s what most people endure in the whole EU. It might be a new experience for the Unionists to learn that after the decades of Stormont self-rule for themselves.

maccored

Thomas_I wrote: »

That´s nothing particular for NI, that´s what most people endure in the whole EU. It might be a new experience for the Unionists to learn that after the decades of Stormont self-rule for themselves.

its a major falldown for the loyalist community. Look at the nationalists - they have their elected representatives all over the place, doing what they were elected for - representing people. Are you telling me the flag wavers have the same kind of support from their elected reps? I dont think they do.

Thomas_I

maccored wrote: »

its a major falldown for the loyalist community. Look at the nationalists - they have their elected representatives all over the place, doing what they were elected for - representing people. Are you telling me the flag wavers have the same kind of support from their elected reps? I dont think they do.

That´s a good question because their "representatives" stirred up the protests and whether this could be seen as support for airing their issues is another matter. I think that their representatives lack reasonable solutions to their problems and once the riots evolved, they were barely seen on the scene to calm these people down (if they wanted to soothe them at all).

Even if they would succeed and get the flag back for all day of the year, this doesn´t solve their other social and economical problems. These problems only can be solved by working together, means "shared society".

maccored

its a double edged sword. you get the representation you vote for, and if thats the kind that encourages you to go out on useless violent ransacking then .....