A chara,
thank you very much for this article on David Ervine and Gerry Adams' views on his life. It was a moving tribute and an interesting read.
My only misgiving is the use of the terms Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist (PUL) in one phrase. Is this a thing now?
As an East Belfast working class Protestant myself (albeit living abroad), I object to being associated with unionism or loyalism.
I also feel this terminology plays into the hands of the British narrative, whereby the Paddies of Northern Ireland are still stuck in some sort of 17th century religious warfare – nothing to do with them, of course!
Yesterday, I had the misfortune to listen to the Stephan Nolan show, in which the son of Punjabi immigrants expressed his views as a dedicated unionist. I am not criticising him for this – he has a perfect right. But do we now have Hindu/Unionist/Loyalists (HUL)?
Couldn't we leave the words Catholic and Protestant out of a situation in which the real issues have nothing to do with religion?
Sorry for this negative comment on what otherwise, for me, was an excellent article.
Is mise le meas,
Larry Megahey
