Legacy - Martin McGuinness

[FairytalesAreBullshit]

I was listening to Tony Blair and his thoughts on Martin McGuinness, who died yesterday after suffering from cancer I believe. Tony Blair focussed on the triumphs of the peace process, the hard work he put in for over 20 years to achieve peace, plus bringing people together.

Sky chose an alternative way to report his death, with the daughter of her 72 year old mother caught up in the Warrington bombings. The presenter wanted it to be as emotive as possible, they were a few steps away from saying he should burn in hell.

Others chose to show a gathering in West Belfast and other places, including Scotland, where people came out to pay their respects.

It's had me thinking all day, if a person does bad, then dedicates their life to doing good. What should their legacy be?

He worked until a few months before his death, which shows that he wanted to fight on right to the end. I know his departure prompted another election, as there were things that he felt were being ignored like using the Irish language to name one. (Sorry I'm a politics and economics geek)

I grew up during the time prior to the peace process, so know what happened from what was reported on TV and in papers. My parents were strict about where we could go in fear of us getting caught up in something.

This is going to be another thread full of bullshit opinions from idiots who don't know the first thing about it.
= This is another thread where your opinion is more valid than anyone else's. Congratulations!

I'm not sure that it can be stated that he worked hard for the peace process

Case in point

If a man goes around punching people in the face, and then people have a word with him and he decides to stop punching people in the face, it is fucking ridiculous to praise him for his selfless contribution to the overall reduction in face-punching when all he has done is stopped punching people, especially when he probably only did that because he had sore knuckles.

He was a murderer.

I am from NI.

I'm not sure that it can be stated that he worked hard for the peace process

Not mine. Just anyone with half a brain cell and the first notion of what they are talking about. If you can find a few.

Sobering that his family will now experience the pain/grief that he inflicted on so many others.

At least I suppose they may take comfort from the fact that he died of natural causes....something he cruelly denied to his countless victims.

I won't say anything else. But, I think my photo explains how I feel about Bliar and McGuinness. There's a special place in hell for these types of people. Covering up your wrongs, to make right doesn't make you a hero!

I think his legacy should be society learning from the past. Martin McGuiness did not create the troubles. He was created by the Troubles.

Dione very well put!

The troubles created many men who didn't become mass murderers. Discuss.

Read what Ian Paisley, Peter Robinson, Nigel Dodds, Rev David Latimer, even Arlene Foster said about him. He was a statesman who reached out to Unionists; a man who, once he renounced violence, was tireless in his pursuit of peace, tolerance and reconciliation. He contributed hugely to peace in NI. There are a lot of fears it will go backwards now he's gone.

He was never questioned about his role in the IRA. Making some believe he was a British agent from very early on.

Agreed Laurie

Citing the Troubles as the cause/creation seeks to deflect blame for cold blooded murder of innocents.

Laurie your comment somewhat trivialises the matter, like it was black and white.
Some young men had no choice
My grandmother made my dad and his brothers move to London so that they wouldn't be recruited.
Young men and boys were dragged out of their beds in the night by British soldiers... interned and tortured. Water planing, sleep depravation etc
Upon their release where did they go??? The closest IRA company to sign up!

The troubles was incredible complex... even those of us who lived through it and studied can't fully understand it

Martin McGuinness was a revolutionary and a visionary. If it wasn't for people like Martin who stood up for the discriminated, oppressed Catholics of the North I for one would not have the opportunities that I have availed of in my lifetime and will ensure my children have.
There's a generation of people here in the North who have so much to thank Martin McGuinness for.
I don't expect everyone to understand my perspective but I'm more than entitled to it!
RIP Martin.

Poppet, to be fair lots of others stood up for oppressed and discriminated communities, but didn't use guns. Austin Currie, John Hume, Gerry Fitt, Bernadette McAliskey to name but a few.

Im sure there are those out there who would praise the pilots who crashed into the towers on 9/11. It's no different.

Apologists for murderers.

Let's see if all the people fawning over that cunt yesterday on social media and the news will be quite as glowing about terrorists today

Martin McGuiness did not create the troubles. He was created by the Troubles.

And the Troubles forced him to plan the mass murder of innocent civilians?
Did he have no free will?

ImFuckingSpartacus

If your not going to try and discuss something you could at least try not to be a goady fucker.

Poppet1974 - he was a murder who always refused to answer about the murders he committed or ordered. I don't thank him for anything.

Brilliant post, badtime!

Perhaps to even the karma out a bit the hospital could hide his body somewhere and then refuse to tell his family where it is for the next 30 odd years. If there is a hell (I don't believe there is for what it's worth) I hope he is burning in it

He was a murderer. He encouraged others to murder. That's his legacy. Just because he stopped does not erase his past.

Mo it would be fitting!

I've been thinking about this a lot too. I think one victim's father expressed it well saying "We can never forgive him but we can respect the man he became”.

Appalled by the ignorance and hatred shown on here. Well said to poppet, herewegoagain & Dione though. Martin McGuinness was a tremendously important person without whom there would be no peace. There would have been a war though, the British state provided that.