AIBU to question the media response to the Belfast attack?

[Squirrel001]

Why are the media being silent on the Belfast attack?

Is the open borders narrative that important to them that they feel the need to ignore one of the most horrific attacks ever seen on a UK street?

I despair for the future of the UK. It’s grim.

Catholics eyes are closer together (or so my mum used to say). It's all garbage obviously! Even she mellowed in her middle age when she actually started to mix with people from the "other side". I would describe her as a low level bigot. My late uncle (born and bred in North Antrim) was openly bigoted and talked about me going to Queens and there being "too many Catholics about the place".

And yet you refuse to give details on this physical difference that applies to 80% of catholics and Protestants. Sure sure.
You aren’t even from, nor live in NI!! You’re being ridiculous.

My FIL said the close together eyes thing the first time I went to their house 🙄 DH had to break the news to them. He didn’t even look embarrassed!

I couldn’t personally from the malone/ Holywood area as they’re both pretty similar. My colleagues though talk about knowing a ‘north downer’ straight away.for me it’s most likely a ‘soft’ Belfast /greater Belfast area/ middle class area presentation that I didn’t grown up in so can’t distinguish.

The shankill and the falls, yes. I grew up there. The differences in dress/ mannerisms/ gestures/ turns of phrase/ accent are evident. Not in a good or bad way but yes they’re there.

I remember having a sleepover with a school friend in a very inner city area of Belfast that was different from mine and the kids instantly saying ‘where is she from, she doesn’t look like she’s from here’. the friend tried to convince them I was from there but they weren’t buying it. And that’s within the same broader ‘community’. People in NI are very astute.

Ok, fine! You’ll never know now anyway, so let’s move on.

I'm not offended, I'm curious and asking you the question you invited posters here to ask.

I am genuinely interested in your answer.

Oh we’re all waiting for you to back up your claim with your expertise.

Ok, it’s difficult to describe without showing you examples which I can’t do here but there’s a certain jaw/mouth shape that I’ve noticed is more common in ‘loyalist’ Northern Irish, and another type that is more common in ‘republican’ Northern Irish. Of course that doesn’t mean everyone has one or the other.

I hate to use him as an example but Ian Paisley has it, as does Johnny Sexton. The former has a less defined jaw and fuller lips with slightly longer teeth, the latter has thinner lips and a more defined jaw where the chin curves up slightly.

I’m sure you will now piss yourself laughing and tell me I’m mad so I’ll let you get on with it!

Because they don't want it getting out that an illegal immigrant attacked a white disabled wheelchair bound Brit by attempting to cut his head off. It wouldn't fit the poor black illegal immigrant narrative they are trying to push. The reality is they don't consider it racism when the victim is the white person. Had a white person tried to cut the head off a black wheelchair bound person it would be on every news channel and radio station there is. That's just how this country is.

Stephen Ogilvie isn’t a wheelchair user. He has a hearing issue and a learning disability. Making stuff up really doesn’t help anyone.

@Walkyrie people not born and bred in NI will not understand. We’ve been raised subconsciously to be hyper vigilant. It derives from the decades of having to be during the conflict. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it. I’m a well rounded adult with friends and family from diverse backgrounds. I don’t give a shit where people are from or their background, but I’m not denying that this is a ‘thing’ that most people I know (from both dominant cultures) do in terms of almost immediately ascertaining where people are from and their religious background (in an NI context). Doesn’t mean we’re sectarian or we change how we behave. It’s merely an observation.

I understand (I mean I don’t, but I can see what you’re getting at).

I haven’t read anything to say he was disabled. And also according to records he had a long history of criminal activity. Not that that warrants the vicious attack.

Apparently a would be petrol bomber has set himself on fire, presumably by accident. Stuff of nightmares, all of it.

What on earth are you talking about, it is all over the news and being spoken about by both the executive and Westminster. It’s hardly been suppressed at all.

FFS.

Are you also trying to suggest NI catholics have physically different attributes to NI Protestants?

She was not suggesting physical differences at all.
I brought it up, my Catholic friend who works in healthcare is recognised as a Catholic in different areas. I asked the question.
it had nothing to do physical. They’re all human, there is a difference in mannerisms etc and cultural differences.

You do know your replying hours after the thread started around the media coverage??. Days, wading in making accusations about physical difference. 🤷‍♀️

No I'm not. It's the snotty attitude
I have a problem with.

The poster I was replying to was!!

”I’ve always felt I could tell the difference physically”

Not cultural signifiers, physical signifiers between catholics and Protestants.

I did suggest there are a couple of features that seem prevalent in Irish people of varying backgrounds, but doesn’t everyone have this? As in, not everyone has it, but when I spot it I know they’ll have an Irish accent before they open their mouth, and they usually do. I also get this with Australians sometimes.

It’s nothing controversial, just bone structure. I get regularly asked if I’m Polish as I have ‘Polish features’.

If someone is going to make outrageous statements like there being a physical difference between NI catholics and NI Protestants they deserve a snotty responsive. It’s a stupid and ridiculous statement to make in 2026.
Of course there aren’t bloody physical attitudes that define “80%” of Protestants vs catholics. It’s literally the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.
She doesn’t even live in NI, and clearly you don’t either or you would see the insanity of a claim like that.

No, your claim was not comparing one country to another, your claim was between catholics and Protestants.

I didn’t say 80%. I said when I look at someone and think ‘oh I think they’re Irish’, 80% of the time the accent confirms it. I don’t get it with every Irish person, not even close. I wouldn’t say this is ‘outrageous’, lots of people can spot common features among people whose ancestry is from one particular area, whether that’s Ireland or elsewhere?