I AM saddened by the poor quality of politics in Northern Ireland.
Our politicians will even fight over whether our home place is Northern Ireland or the North of Ireland; the latter was constantly used by the gentle Seamus Mallon but he did it to mark his territory and show the Unionists that he was boss.
The sleepless week at Stormont brought no resolution to the policing and justice issue and politicians there, those of narrow vision, were close to ending the power-sharing executive.
Many of our politicians fit precisely the African description of one with little wisdom who can see no further than the end of a nose – “he had the way of a fish in the well”, seeing nothing to the left or the right but only the tiny circle of the blue sky above.”
We have such men at Stormont. The talk was of the Irish language and parades and those involved were willing to take down the government because, in part, of those matters.
I do not have the language but when I heard Jarleth Burns read poems in Irish on a documentary I made about Creggan, the hair stood on the back of my neck with the flow and the beauty of the words.
I recommend the simplicity of living and allowing others to live, to those Unionists who feel threatened.
Parades. There are Orange Parades that I love to watch and always loved to watch during my Catholic growing up days in Newry. Some of the best human beings I know are members of that Order.
Bands like the Hunter Moore have long been a musical credit to Newry and when John Dalzell was led in parade down Hill Street at the end of his “sit out” for Hospice, those who played the music were Catholic and Protestant walking together, side by side.
That model of happy and peaceful musicality serves well as an example to those who wish to march where they have no business marching and to those who object to other marching that is benign and unthreatening.
The British Parliament agreed to war in Iraq. A most serious matter. But no politician walked away or wanted to end politics.
The Irish Parliament had to deal with the collapse of an entire economy. But no-one was out to walk away and end politics.
And politically limited men and women of Stormont are walking away over “marching”. Such a little thing. Such a prize to lose.
Nature and Ulster politics abhor a vacuum. Dark shadows of gunmen wait in the wings for the gates of Stormont to close.