By Jamie Bryson
The past week has provided an illuminating insight into not only the hypocrisy, but more importantly the inherent supremacism, which has infected nationalism.
This supremacist mindset is likely a result of the privilege nationalism has become accustomed to during the peace process, and it is even more pronounced amongst the nationalist elite- a collection of academics, media commentators and activists.
Throughout July we were treated to the usual pontificating and sneering from the nationalist elite’s public faces. We all know who they are: Chris Donnelly, Phil Kelly, Patricia MacBride, Andree Murphy, Colin Harvey, Amanda Ferguson and others.
It is of some note that all the aforementioned activists are presented by the BBC as independent commentators, whilst unionists/loyalists are always identified via political background. There is no coherent or logical explanation for this differential treatment, other than that it is a symptom of the ‘peace process’ which necessitates special treatment for nationalists/republicans.
Whilst the usual nationalist cast were filling our airwaves and newspaper columns with their sneering pontification about the unionist/loyalist community over perceived misdemeanours during the bonfire/marching season, they all of a sudden vanished when it came to the Feile.
Well, vanished for a day or two. They were soon back, explaining and justifying the mass glorification of IRA terrorism. It was everyone else’s fault. As ever, nationalism is always the victim.
The same people who demonised and dehumanised the unionist/loyalist community over a Parachute Regiment and UVF 1912 flag, all of a sudden found themselves explaining the appropriateness of glorifying IRA terrorism.
Chris Donnelly (a school principal), Patricia MacBride and Andree Murphy each treated us to a column, explaining in great detail why it was ok to glorify the IRA’s terrorist campaign.
Whilst Mr Donnelly and Ms MacBride went to some effort to suppress their supremacist mindset and conceal it under a (rather poor) effort to sound reasonable, Ms Murphy failed to even pretend to be anything other than an unashamed nationalist supremacist, who appeared more perturbed that there could possibly be anyone who failed to uphold the righteousness of the ‘brave’ IRA.
Writing in the Sinn Fein controlled media outlet, the Andersonstown News, Ms Murphy began by churning out a series of historic grievances. This was, it seems, an effort to contextualise why thousands of nationalists and a heavily publicly funded festival revelled in the murderous actions of the IRA.
The main grievance was the entirely lawful SAS killing of three IRA terrorists on a bombing mission in Gibraltar. As ever with nationalism’s narrative of the conflict, the IRA terrorists were freedom fighters when shooting police officers, soldiers and UDR members in the back of the head or blowing up little children, but if their ‘enemy’ dared to shoot back then instantly the IRA aggressors became the most oppressed people ever.
In truth, the IRA called themselves an army. They said they were fighting a war against the British Army. At Loughall, Gibraltar and in many other operations the SAS killed active IRA terrorists.
The only true complaint is that the SAS did not- lawfully- shoot to kill more active IRA terrorists.
We were then treated to a reference to the IRA murder of two innocent young British soldiers. Of course, it was not the terrorist actions of the IRA under the spotlight. Instead, we were told the soldiers driving in an area where there was a republican funeral was “inexplicable”. Yes, daring to drive in a republican area brought it upon themselves, they deserved to be kidnapped and murdered by the gang of savages.
The kidnapping, torture, and murder of the two young soldiers is then described- in glowing terms- as an “execution”.
At this point its worth reminding ourselves that Ms Murphy works for the publicly funded organisation Relatives for Justice. A reasonable observer would be surprised to note that this apparent victim’s organisation has, in the past, actively promoted IRA terrorist commemorations.
As previously mentioned, Ms Murphy is also a favourite of the BBC NI establishment.
Anyway, back to the tour-de-force in nationalist supremacism. We are then told the following (in reference to young people glorifying the IRA’s murderous campaign):
“What these young people do not do is demonise any other community, exult in any loss of life…”.
At this point, you will be confused. You will struggle to comprehend how this bold assertion is applied to the singing of songs about ‘Brits’ being told to go home, and the celebration of the IRA who murdered and maimed thousands.
But, that is exactly what Ms Murphy shamelessly asserts.
You see, the disrespect is actually on the part of unionism. How dare we fail to legitimise and accept the IRA as noble. How can this be?
The peace process requires the re-writing of history to ensure that the IRA was good, and the British state/loyalists were bad. How dare anyone complain about the manifestation of this narrative. The pesky unionists need brought to heel.
In addition, a blind eye must be turned to the hypocrisy of the nationalist elite. The same people who piously lecture unionists/loyalists and talk down to our community as if we are an underclass, seemingly think we must all slavishly swallow their narrative.
It is now the case whereby some employers are taking action against employees caught at the Feile terrorfest promoting the IRA. In equal measure funders are reviewing their provision of funds to the festival.
Nationalists may wish to cast their mind back to how they rampaged across social media as a mob trying to get loyalists sacked from employment, and how they in separate incidents repeatedly tried to have funding withheld from unionist/loyalist communities.
They are now getting a bit back, and they do not like it. Once again, they are retreating into the victimhood cave.
The days are over of the unionist/loyalist community being cannon fodder to be preached at and treated as underclass by a nationalist elite, who demand that they have the right to dominate the public narrative and discourse.