Born and bred in NI and despite its obvious problems I absolutely love the place. I'm from a Protestant background but have been an atheist since school. We were pretty poor growing up so spent most of our holidays in NI/ROI mostly Fermanagh and Donegal where we happily played with children of all backgrounds. There weren't integrated schools round my way growing up but I hope to send my own kids to one and I vote for the Green party as from experience anyone that puts a flag on their propaganda does not have the best interests of our citizens at heart. For what it's worth I have come across a hell of a lot of people similar to me through school and various jobs, it seems to me that we go unheard and unnoticed because Unionists and Nationalists shout louder.
I consider myself Northern Irish, rather than British or Irish and there's proof a growing number of our citizens think the same. However when abroad and people struggle with the whole 'NI' thing I say I'm Irish as I feel a lot more Irish than British. Ideally I'd love NI to be independent, I think the British Government have shown almost complete disregard for NI and its people and I have little to no respect for them as a result. How this whole situation wasn't considered before Brexit I don't know but proves we're a second thought.
I would be opposed to a United Ireland because I very much appreciate the NHS, and as a public servant I don't know what it would mean for my job. I'd also be concerned about losing my Northern Irish identity (I love Irish League football and the national team for example, that would all change). I also highly doubt that ROI would want us, beyond romantic reasons it wouldn't make economic sense for them.
We're consistently let down by our politicians in NI and it frustrates me no end, they don't give a shit about us because tribal point scoring is more important to them. They should all have been thrown out months ago for collapsing government and not coming to an agreement, the whole situation is completely ridiculous and they aren't fit for purpose. Schools and health care are suffering as a result but it doesn't impact them because they're on a handy wage. It makes my blood boil, the DUP and Sinn Fein are the worst things to have happened to this country.
We may have peace here but it's extremely fragile and for me the most important thing is not tipping it over the edge. Too many lives have been lost and damaged, family and friends of ours among them, nothing is worth going back to those times.