Loyalists in Belfast missing a trick.?

[Stoneinwelly]

Watching the news on the rioting in N.I. Aibu in thinking the loyalists could turn the whole flag raising and lowering business to their advantage?

Nobody really notices a flag up everyday iykwim but one hoisted for special occasions would get more attention. They could get the bugle out ,like Ypres,
and have a cake and pictures for really special days like Earl of Essex' B.D.

Especially a parent who went to an NI Grammar school and will be more than aware of the differences between schools.

I notice you always appear on these threads weggie- I'm sooo glad you always pop up to remind us that we live in Satans arsehole, surrounded by burning barricades and people singing the sash while they make petrol bombs.

By the way, I do love how you always neglect to mention the good things about NI society. My DP for example- like your dh, he went to inst and left in 2007. Unlike your dh however, he didn't have the benefit of bring from a naice neighbourhood in south Belfast- he's from a shitty estate in the north. But he went to that school and got the exact same education as sons who father's were millionaires. This is what I think represents the people of NI- someone was talking about middle class snobs up thread and it's completely alien to me. The NI I know is not the picture you falsely represent. I fear you've either been misinformed or are over dramatising the situation- but to sit and continuously insult our home is unfair, especially when it's blatant you know nothing about us except for outdated stereotypes.

I honestly do think that some people outside NI think we spend most of our days peering through the curtains to make sure there isn't some horde walking menacingly down the street waving petrol bombs.

Often there is a bit of trouble in one area around the 12th- whole other issue. Rioting is generally localised and contained by a brilliantly well trained police force on the rare times it does happen. On a day to day basis Northern Ireland is as safe and "normal" to live in as any other part of the UK. I've lived in Belfast my whole life and have never been caught up in a riot situation. Ever. And neither has anyone I know.

I'm not saying we riot less than the English(!) but it's certainly not par for the course. That's why it's on the news.

The biggest threat to peace at the moment isn't the burning tyres or the stopping of traffic by these protestors. It's the quieter, more deadly, activities of other groups who conspire to kill innocent people on their way to work that I'm worried about.

Well you do surprise me, Weegie. I apologise for doubting you.

I thought you perhaps sent your to an independent school or lived somewhere that whilst the surrounding area may be deprived, you actually lived in a neighbouring area if you see what I mean. For example you living in Bearsden as opposed to its next door neighbour Drumchapel.

Narked, you're missing the point. I can also link to riots in London, etc.
If you can link to NI for its hospitality and beauty, fair enough.
But you won't.

The countryside is beautiful. The painted kerbs aren't.

And it's not that friendly when you have an Irish name and an English accent

I can name ALL the convicted IRA terrorists

I can also name all the Unionist politicians involved in terrorism and those who were involved in the Vanguard movement. But it is a waste of time as things have moved on.

In a few words you have expressed what is wrong with the bigots of both colours, utterly one eyed and obsessed with the past.

Aye, it's the terrorists from the old days that you don't see, that are keeping their heads down and either planning more attacks or biding their time we ought to be worried about. Whatever you say about Martin Guinness, Gerry Adams et al, it's in their interests to make this work.

As always when discussing NI we're going through the history again.
I've been trying not to comment but I feel that I really must correct this which Bureni wrote a few pages back

"It is a mad situation when you consider that the Irish fought with the British through 2 world wars,"
Those people from the republic who joined the British army and fought nazism in the Second War War were abominably treated when they returned. It was the policy of the Republic's government to see to it that they could not find a job.

A fair point conference but then the other side could point to the routine discrimination in housing and employment that existed in Northern Ireland until comparatively recently . Both sides have greivences some real some imagined . we could spent from now until eternity rehashing them and have learned nothing.

or maybe they could get a design committee to design a New Northern Irish flag that reflects both traditions and the peace process and fly that. it would be a minefield but they managed it in South Africa

My grandad fought for England during the first world war. When he left Ireland was part of Britain, when he came back there had been an uprising and they were well on their way to independence. Like most of the men he left Ireland to go to war with, it was a choice made out of dire poverty. It was not about supporting the British at all. They all enlisted for food, clothes and a warm place to sleep at night.

When he returned all he had was his British army uniform which was a dangerous thing at best. One month after returning he went down to Cork and got on the first boat getting out of there. He never regretted it.

problem solved, no probs!

My grandad also fought for England during WW1. He and his brother were in the Connaught Rangers.

They were not in dire poverty, they were from the well educated middle classes, who enlisted/were recruited on the promise of Home Rule after the fighting. They were lied to. Churchill was a hate figure in our house...

Hence why the regiment rebelled in India when martial law was imposed in Ireland, and was disbanded on the creation of the Irish Free State.

I know that all of you have replied to me are right. I was just trying to correct one small item.
I was trying to make the point that history isn't that much use to use. Moaning about the past when bad things were done on all sides won't help now. We should be concentrating on the now.

Thought it was stupid to change flag arrangements. Like a red rag to a bull. Ffs things had quitened down in the North. Now i wouldn't visit NI to see Titanic exhibition as i had planned - wouldn't feel safe. What a shame.

No way was there flag waving and celebrations in Dublin after 9/11.
Shock and sorrow yes. The president of ireland at the time made a very emotive speech. I didn't vote for her but she did capture the (irish) public mood at the the time . Appalled at some of the comments on this thread

See this is what drives me insane - we can't just keep our heads down and try not to upset those who are eejits enough to block roads, ruin peoples businesses.

Who cares if changing the flag was a red rag to a bull? It was a decision made by democratically elected representatives. That is the way forward, not - being afraid of change incase those as thick as champ decide to riot and throw all their toys out of the pram.

I freaking love Belfast. Just back from the pub for operation sit in - people avoiding tonight's protests by going out for drinks/food and spending money in city centre businesses who've suffered during the flegs saga. Had a lovely Friday night drink or two when normally I would've just gone home. Not many other cities where people would react like that I reckon.

Oh, and definitely come top the titanic museum, you'd be extremely unlucky to even see anything bad, never mind actually be affected.

Fair enough chunderella just have to agree to disagree