Trevor Ringland writes his ‘Sympathies lie with victims and families of Loughinisland atrocity’ (February 2). He advises these families to shun republican minded supporters and stop blaming Britain, if British troopers, constabulary, or agents murdered loved ones. With sympathies like these who needs enmities?
Mr Ringland wants families to accept that British troopers or constabulary who murdered, acted ‘outside the law’ are ‘innocent until proven guilty’, and no excuse for holding Britain accountable. His alternative facts show the deep divide keeping legacy justice a fundamental issue.
Did British troopers, constabulary or agents act ‘outside the law’ at Loughinisland, Ballymurphy etc? Certainly they acted outside the letter of British law. Certainly anyone charged by the crown should be presumed innocent and get a fair trial (unlike internment).
Why do families believe that the killing of their loved ones, while outside the letter of the law, was part of actual British policy?
Look at Loughinisland. ‘No Stone Unturned’ names and shows recent film of suspects, then reveals, besides DNA evidence available from the recovered car, weapons and clothing, the wife of one of the alleged gunmen had telephoned and written confessing her involvement and naming the gunmen.
No-one was ever charged. Are families promised ‘no stone unturned’ then stonewalled, wrong to believe killers were not ‘innocent until proven guilty’ but innocent by British state immunity?
Look at Ballymurphy. These families say that British troopers murdered innocent people, including a Catholic priest and mother of eight. After taking 11 innocent lives and parents from 57 children the British massacred the truth. Victims became posthumous gunmen. The crown made their troopers innocent and the dead guilty.
Families fought for their right to establish truth at a British inquest. Now Britain moves towards pardons dressed up as statutes of limitations, for British troopers and constabulary. Have families no right to believe that the British are putting their undeclared immunity into law?
Former RUC officer and Glenanne Gang member John Weir, said the British government at “the very highest level”, was aware of the murder gang’s activities (Irish News, August 28,2017). Despite promises and court orders, these families have not gotten their right to an overarching investigation.
Can these families not ask whether a full investigation might show Weir was right? The divide over legacy justice is deep. Clearly the mechanisms agreed in the past failed to work. Any new agreement on legacy mechanisms must give real truth to victims. Families must get more than hopes of justice, followed by disillusionment.
MARTIN GALVIN
New York
Ms Bailey shows how little she knows about Catholicism
Clare Bailey’s attempted justification for repeal of the Eighth Amendment by lauding that doctor politicians and so-called ‘Catholics for Choice are a sign of progress misses the point on a properly examined conscience for Catholics (February 14).
Seventy five years ago this month, Sophie and Hans Scholl were arrested for anti-Nazi activities at Munich University. In their defence they stated that they had to be the conscience of a nation that had become devoid of God and decency. What gave them the means to do this? Quite simply, it was the Catholic understanding of conscience, via the Church Fathers, Scholasticism and Papal writings given by their lecturer Dr Haecker that lead to this revelation. However, the thoughts of Cardinal Newman was the true catalyst for this clarity of the truth.
These Lutherans were more Catholic in their interior thought than those Catholics to whom Clare champions. Indeed in their devouring of the sermons of Newman, Sophie’s boyfriend stated that these writings brought great delight in the face of the daily horror he experienced on the eastern front. Futhermore, this wealth of enlightenment even convinced some of the Scholl’s friends to convert to Catholicism before their executions.
Ms Bailey’s assertion that Catholics can support the repeal shows how much she [and they] don’t know about Catholicism.
For any Catholic to receive the Eucharist and yet advocate death to the innocent places them outside the Church. In a society becoming equally indifferent to truth, both in conscience and in faith, the example of The White Rose Society places before us all the need not to be indifferent to life and be the disturbing expression of the conscience in the face of today’s version of Lebensunwerten Lens [life unworthy of life] even more so, than in the darkest days of the Third Reich.
JDP McALLION
Clonoe, Co Tyrone
Pro-life laws allow women time to think
I would kindly like to respond to Clare Bailey’s letters on (January 11, February 14). As a young woman involved in pro-life work in Northern Ireland, I have witnessed many crisis pregnancies with many positive results where due to financial and emotional support the mother chose life, even in tough circumstances.
A fantastic example from the Republic is Mary Kenny, a wonderful mother in difficult circumstances. A recurring theme is that these women feel like they have little support and they are pushed towards a decision they do not want to take. However, with the excellent support that LIFE NI and Stanton healthcare provide, they are able to make the best decision that they’ve ever made and choose life.
I challenge Ms Bailey to look at England, where the culture of abortion has led to 20 per cent of pregnancies being aborted. Is that what we want? We have a brilliant culture of caring for women, special needs children and people in tough circumstances. Our pro-life laws allow women time to think, reflect and get support to make positive decisions. Our abortion rate is 5 per cent in Ireland. This love and support is the true Christian Catholic message.
SARAH HAIRE
Society for the Protection of Unborn Children
Belfast
Respecting God’s will
When questioned about the loss of 13 Sinn Féin elected representatives following outbreaks of internal disputes, Sinn Féin’s new leader Mary Lou McDonald glibly described it as coming down to ‘interpersonal dynamics’. We are left to wonder what verbal gem she will bestow on us if next month two Sinn Féin TDs, Peadar Toibin of West Meath and Carol Nolan from Offaly exercise their God-given right to vote against the referendum bill for the repeal of the Eighth Amendment. The new leader’s hope is that every Sinn Féin parliamentarian will respect the decided will of the members of the Ard Fheis. In making this momentous decision it is hoped that the two TDs in question will ignore the will of the Ard Fheis and respect the will of God.
WILSON BURGESS
Derry City
Arlene’s contradictions
Arlene Foster continues to show that she is incapable of comprehending her own contradictions. She says there has to be a two-way street on the language issue but there already is a two-way street. No-one in Sinn Fein or otherwise is asking for the Irish language to over ride the English language, both can be there at the same time, neither causing offence and both enhancing what could be the wonderful culture of Northern Ireland.
LORNA MARKS TSAI
West Saint Paul, Minnesota
Expression of thanks
Depaul would like to thank the generous people of Belfast for showing compassion and support to our homeless hostels. On December 6 Depaul volunteers and students from St Louise’s Specialist School stood in the city and raised £803.67. This money went towards helping families and individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Thank you to all involved.
PHILIP KEE
Belfast BT15
