The recent killings of three innocent children in Northern Ireland are a stark reminder of the problems that continue to persist in that volatile region. For the past three months we’ve heard of the struggles political leaders in that region had to go through to bring “peace” between Catholics and Protestants.
When the Northern Ireland peace agreement passed with 70 percent of the vote, pundits called it a new dawn in Ireland. But the recent hostilities and cowardly actions prove that peace is a long time in coming.
Where is the compromise in all of this newfound peace? The Orange Order (Protestants) will not back away from their right to march in remembrance through Catholic neighborhoods. The Catholic people continue to stand pat in their rejection of allowing these parades to take place in their streets. Violence does not reduce the tensions between these two sides, it rekindles past hate and anguish.
If there is going to be true peace in Northern Ireland it must come from the people, not politicians and former terrorists posing as peacemakers. There must be give on both sides, or the senseless killings will continue.
