IN a week in which images of violence involving young men in Derry dominate the headlines, it must surely be time to take heads out of the sand and question what is really going wrong in the north west.
There are few who would argue that Derry and surrounding areas have felt the peace dividend in the way that some other places have.
But that alone does not explain how armed dissident republicans have gained a foothold in parts of the north west when they have failed elsewhere.
The age profile of those involved in rioting and with the political group Saoradh, which has been widely linked to the 'New IRA', shows an attraction towards republican extremism which is in decline elsewhere.
That a border poll and reunification of the island is now part of mainstream political discourse removes all justification for ongoing armed action.
Calls for a referendum on the border were expedited by Brexit and not bombs. This should have been noted by the remaining armed groups - should have, but clearly has not been.
A failed bomb attempt once a month will have no impact on British government policy in Northern Ireland.
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The dissident organisations responsible for these attacks are heavily infiltrated and bombing attempts are almost always thwarted.
When huge numbers of PSNI officers went into the Creggan estate on Monday they were able to immediately put their hands on a stored bomb in what was clearly an intelligence-led operation.
Young people being lured into the ranks of the New IRA face lengthy terms of imprisonment, a criminal record that will follow them around for life and even risk their own lives and those of their friends and family.
There are many organisations and agencies responsible for causing this crisis through lengthy social, political and economic neglect over the years.
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An historical hostility to the police should by now - 20 years after the release of the Patten Report on police reforms - have been forgotten.
When the new chief constable Simon Byrne threatened to take away the children of paramilitaries last week, it played straight into the hands of those who would argue that the force is far from reformed.
While he later retracted the comments there is a very real danger of losing a new generation of young people and the onus is on police, politicians and those with influence to ensure that their actions and language are mindful of this very real risk.
