[Brecht]

Originally Posted by rupertramjet

McGuiness was a leading light in the rearmament of the Provisional IRA in the early seventies, he was the deputy commander of the Derry Brigade, responsible for hundreds of murders, murders of Catholic and Protestant, members of the security forces and indiscriminate bombings which killed and maimed men, women and children. He either agreed with, or directly gave the orders for these actions.

I have always had sympathy for the people of Northern Ireland, I have always felt the Catholic Civil Rights movement had right on their side, but I have never agreed with the killers from both sides, who indiscriminately murder the innocent. McGuiness topped this list, when you have seen the sights I have mentioned previously on this subject, picked up the severed hand of a one year old girl, I went, broke down and cried with the Padre after that one, you cheer the death of people like him and pray he has been replaced by someone without blood on their hands.

I'm not worshipping Martin McGuinness or the IRA for that matter. But there is a reason why McGuinness and thousands of his countrymen joined the ranks of the IRA. We have to look at the whole picture and stop taking things out of its historical context. The conflict in NI was not just a war between its Catholics and Protestants and their paramilitaries. You can't ignore the role and crimes of the British army, intelligence and the pro-British Royal Ulster Constabulary. Many murders committed by loyalist paramilitaries were covered up by the RUC and British intelligence. We should also talk about the murders ordered in London. It goes on and on. The experience of the Irish since the partition of Ireland in 1921 was a nightmare, though it began much earlier. But we don't have to go back to the plantation era now. Long story short, McGuinness gave peace a chance. He decided to lay down his guns and to build a better future for everyone in NI. Even a hatemonger like Ian Paisley could appreciate that and alter his own views. Martin McGuinness was not a saint but who is in a bloody war? Hopefully that war is over now for good and Martin McGuinness is among those people who deserve some credit for it.

Here's a good article about him: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...nness-obituary