A United Ireland

[poppiesallykatie]

Not a goady thread or to stir, but how many are against it or for it? Obviously many in NI want to part of the Republic, many in NI want to part of Great Britain, how do the British people feel about it?

It was a terrifying time as a child. Going into Dublin city with mam' your Dad would say if you see anything suspicious run, incase you get blown up.
It was scary.

Can I ask how NI can have such oppressive views towards women's rights, particularly abortion, and also against gay marriage, despite the rest of the UK being supportive of both and even the ROI becoming more liberal.

Because religion is strong here. Particularly Presbyterianism.

Our school was oposite a barracks. We used to have fire drills and bomb drills.

Northern Ireland isn’t one hive mind.

People vote along traditional sectarian lines, in a lot of cases.

Or they vote for the party that supports the issue that matters most to them. So that’s unionist or nationalist. Republican or loyalist. For a lot of people.

I vote yellow. But it’s a wasted vote.

Actually. shepherdspieisminging stop dehumanising us. We are people. Disparate people with varying views. We aren’t “Northern Ireland” as homogenous Borg. We are varying people with varying views and it is reductive and dehumanising and othering to say what you do.

Having read the majority of posts I have several points:

• those that do not live in Northern Ireland really don't understand what it was like to be there during the troubles, to live under a foreign rule and abide by their harsh, unhumane laws
• since living in England I realise how uneducated and ignorant the English are, not entirely their fault, they were completely led by the very very biased media! When I tell people about for example Bloody Sunday ( which the government have accepted was uncalled for) they can't believe it!
• happily married to an 'ignorant' (in a nice way) English man who does not have a scooby! And he couldn't give a shit tbh! He knows one side and that's it . 15 years later I am still educating him and he mostly still doesn't get it. - compare to apartheid in South Africa, that's what catholics endured.
• yes NI could not at this point in time survive on its own- it's not because they can't, it's because it is only 20+ years from conflict. They haven't had the opportunity of economic growth but things are changing, NI has a highly educated population ( best A levels results year on year in uk). I have solicitor, economist, accountant friends whose main offices are transferring from London to Belfast as not only cheaper but better educated.
• I don't think the republic wants a NI and I can see why at this point!

-NI is a young 'country' with loads of potential. Give us 30-50 years!

Nevertheless dipple NI is a democracy so its disingenuous to dissociate its policies from the views of the majority. And religion alone doesn't explain the deep misogyny of some of it's laws.

Also do people on the 'mainland' know that people in NI can't vote for tories/labour/lib dems/ UKIP etc. We have no say in who the prime minister of 'our uk' is-how is that even democratic!

I think religion explains most of the misogyny to be honest. I still know people who think that married women shouldn't be in employment. That men should never do 'women's work' (ie housework or childcare), that women shouldn't cut their hair or wear trousers, that women shouldn't speak if a man is talking etc. And every single man I know who feels this way believes it deeply because he believes it is an instruction straight from God and that he has to obey it whether he thinks its right or not. These people obviously aren't the majority, far from it, but nor are they particularly unusual, there are thousands of them.

Since I turned 18 and I am now a lot older than 18 I have protested for,the right to an abortion.

I’m an atheist - Presbyterians are one of the more moderate Protestant groups in Northern Ireland - Brethren, Church of God, Free Presbyterian or even the likes of Green Pastures would be more hardline than Presbyterians.

Many of those Protestant denominations were preaching from the pulpits against the GFA.

People make a choice on what’s important to them. The one big issue here for years is orange or green. And people vote that way first. The other issues are secondary. Ian Paisley will always get in in north Antrim. Despite his alleged dalliances and expensive taste in holidays, for example.

Shepardspie It is difficult to understand. For the people in NI it is down to the 2 main party's to level out the seats.
So by default ppl vote DUP to keep Sinn Fein seats down and vice versa. It is all about the balance, most don't even agree with the party's views.
The Catholic community in NI hold an Irish passport not a British one. The protestant community have a British passport.

mummyshark apartheid, seriously? Catholics were legally forbidden from marrying or having sex with Protestants, there were parks with signs saying Protestant only, separate hospitals and beaches and public transport and universities.
Yeah right.

Treacle isn’t it the Elim- don’t cut your hair and wear a skirt below the knee and wee kerchief in your hair.

I know men who think women shouldn’t have the vote. And their wives don’t vote. Because that’s how it is.

Ministers who won’t share the pulpit with a female minister at a cross community service.

Now to be told they're not Irish or even respectfully part of Britain.

@Shepherdspieisminging
That's exactly what I have experienced from hundreds of conversations with (lovely) English people. They actually just don't know! Not their fault- the biased media not portraying the real situation. How is that actually democratic? It baffles me!

The Catholic community in NI hold an Irish passport not a British one. The protestant community have a British passport.

I don't think it's anywhere near as simple as that. I'm from a Protestant background and have an Irish passport, as do many of my friends. My reason was simply because it was cheaper. Similarly, many of my Catholic friends have only ever had British passports, either because it never really occurred to them not to (not because they didn't feel Irish but because they felt that whether they liked it or not, they were British since they were born in the UK), or because they needed one in a hurry and could get a British one more quickly.

And a lot of people have both, and use whichever one suits depending on where they are travelling to.

@Hohocabbage
Yes, not able to access certain education establishments, not allowed jobs, housing- all the fundamental stuff you know, so yes a definite comparison can be made!

@EmeraldShamrock
I know loads of catholics with British passports! Not that simple!

What educational establishments were Catholics in NI not able to access?

Shepardspie You are not ignorant at all. Interested not ignorant.
Yes it is a delicate situation, hopefully whatever the outcome NI is protected and supported.

Actially, you know Hoho I don't think it was a million miles off. Separate schools, separate housing, huge discrimination regarding jobs, "mixed" marriages were legally possible but very difficult in reality. Maybe more like being black in the US post the abolition of slavery than apartheid- equal on paper but not in reality.