The fines for drivers finding themselves in a bus lane are ridiculously excessive and appear to be nothing more than another ‘Big Brother’ tax-raising exercise on motorists going about their business in a flawed traffic situation.
The first time I came off the Sydenham Bypass, along Oxford Street and turned right and up past St George’s market and on by Belfast City Hall, I found that at first glance I could not tell motorists' road from bus lane. I still don’t know if I am going to get a letter informing me of a fine for some ‘bus lane’ offence.
The roads through west Belfast are absolutely dreadful with little stretches designated as bus lanes, which run out quite quickly, only to become a bus lane a few yards on. The situation on the Andersonstown Road is worst of all, especially at the large shopping centres. There are bottle-necks on both sides of this road, be it rush hour or not.
As the old saying goes: “Dick Turpin wore a mask.” Unlike the DRD who are barefaced robbers.
PAUL McCORRY
Belfast BT11
Clarion call for supporters to attend annual march for justice
On this the 44th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday Massacre, I would like to take this opportunity to call on all those supportive of justice to attend this year’s annual march for justice. The people of this island and my home city Derry have never been found wanting when injustice in any guise needs challenged.
Forty four years ago thousands of people, including myself, took to the streets of Derry to send a clear message to those in Whitehall that inequality and injustice would not be tolerated. This clarion call was met with indiscriminate mass murder when the Parachute Regiment entered the Bogside and murdered civil rights protesters on the day that became known as Bloody Sunday. The wound inflicted on Derry on that day has never fully healed despite sticking plaster attempts. For many families the only remedy for what happened that day will be to see those responsible held to account for their actions.
Decades on and five years after the Bloody Sunday Inquiry the most progress made in terms of a legal challenge has been made by the suspects in the case. Suspects who through a High Court challenge in London have been allowed to dictate the terms and conditions of their arrest and questioning on the basis of security. Prior to this the PSNI who have been investigating the Bloody Sunday Murders at a snail’s pace gave assurances to the suspects that they would not be arrested in advance of their challenge. This not only sets a dangerous precedent but raises the question as to where else in the world this would be allowed to happen.
From Bloody Sunday to Ballymurphy, to the victims of state agents such as Stakeknife and Mark Haddock, the state cannot shirk its responsibilities, as unlike paramilitary groups we should be able to hold the state to account. Proposals to deal with the past outlined in the Stormont House Agreement clearly indicated that attempts were being made to cover up the state’s role in the Troubles via a national security veto. Had it not have been for the efforts of a small group of people from Derry and Belfast this abhorrent legislation which has since been shelved would have been pushed through the back door of Westminster by our politicians in Stormont.
For their efforts these campaigners including myself faced ridicule from so-called campaigners, victims groups and politicians, many of whom have since been found back-pedalling. Their actions bring to mind the words of Thomas Kinsella’s poem Butcher’s Dozen: “The shame is theirs, in word and deed, who prate of justice, practice greed, and act in ignorant fury-then, officers and gentlemen”.
This year’s March for Justice will send a clarion call that inequality and injustice are still unacceptable.
Assemble Sunday January 31 at 2.30pm, Creggan Shops, Derry.
VINCENT COYLE
Derry city
Isis is only a symptom of the overall problem
Aidan Convery in his scolding of Kieran McMullan (January 11) misses the big picture entirely. Where and when did Syria’s and Iraq’s problems with Isis start?
Retired US Four Star General Wesley Clark, ex-supreme allied commander of Nato, relates how, on a visit to old friends in the Pentagon in late 2001, a fellow general showed him a paper stating that the Department of Defence planned to “take out seven countries in five years starting with Iraq, and then Syria Lebanon Libya Somalia Sudan, and finishing off, Iran”.
How was this to be done? Not, with the exception of Iraq, by invasion but with Muslim extremists, armed, paid and supplied by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Nato member Turkey. When Saddam controlled Iraq there was zero tolerance for Islamic extremism and the plan had to dispose of secular leaders such as Saddam and Gaddafi. These countries are now 'failed states' as are Somalia and Sudan. Lebanon was to be dealt with by the Israeli invasion of 2006 but it was rebuffed by Hezbollah with heavy losses.
Mr Convery wishes to see a co-ordinated effort by the various coalitions to defeat Isis but the first step needs to be taken by Nato which for nearly five years has kept an open Turkish border to facilitate Jihadis crossing into Iraq and Syria from all over the Middle East and further afield.
Secondly, has anyone heard condemnation from Brussels (Nato headquarters) of Turkey’s financial support for Isis by their purchase of oil stolen from Syria and Iraq? Isis is the best financed terrorist group in history due to the millions of dollars they earn from Turkey every week.
Isis, a totally evil result of geopolitical maneuvers in the Middle East and Africa, is only a symptom of the overall problem.
EUGENE F PARTE
Belfast BT9
Hindering public debate
Public support and input will necessarily be the foundation of any successful reform of our Health and Care Services, but you could be forgiven for thinking that the Department of Health’s current consultation on ‘Reform and Transformation’ is designed to hinder public debate and understanding, rather than encourage it.
The questionnaire is brief and appears to have been designed to illicit only positive responses to vague notions, without providing any detailed proposals or options to deal with them.
Questions such as: Do you agree there is too much complexity?, Do you agree that trusts are best placed to assess local needs? only allow one, simple response when in fact the issues are wide-ranging and complex.
Leading, closed questions which characterise this consultation will create the suspicion that a proper public debate around these issues is deemed undesirable and that the health minister is merely seeking support for his proposed reforms.
Reform of the system will require public input, particularly from health professionals, and engagement if it is to be successfully defined and implemented. It doesn't take an expert panel to work this out.
Cllr PAULA BRADSHAW
Alliance, South Belfast
IRA didn't take part in 1916 Rising
For the benefit of all those who are writing in about how the IRA from 1969 on was not the same as the IRA who took part in the Easter Rising of 1916, the following organisations took part in the rising:
Irish Republican Brotherhood; Irish Volunteers; Irish Citizen Army; Cumann na mBan
Na Fianna Éireann; The Hibernian Rifles; members of Sinn Féin, who were members of these organisations, may have taken part.
The IRA could not have taken part as it was not formed until 1917 by Cathal Brugha.
TONY CARROLL
Newry, Co Down
