I've lurked on this debate for several days.
I have no truck with Arlene and her politics. However, as a fellow human being and a fellow woman, I have enormous respect for her as a person.
This is a woman, who, as a child, saw her father come back in from checking their animals in the evening, having been shot in the head by the IRA.
Now, I dont know about any of you, but I know for me, if I had seen my beloved Daddy shot in the head by anyone, I would struggle to forgive them at any level. But, Arlene is a pragmatic woman, and doesn't seem driven by bitterness or revenge.
Furthermore, as a teenager, her school bus was blown up by the IRA. Look at it- there are pictures online.
This is a woman, who literally has been through the wars.
Some pampered git, who, I imagine has very limited understanding of who she is, decides to undermine her by reiterating rumours, and he was called to task about it. Instead of humbly apologising, he doubled down.
What on earth led CJ to hear about, or decide to wade in on, another an issue about which he appears to know little, is beyond me.
One could speculate that it was the enticing prospect of kicking a woman who appeared to be down, that might have attracted him to comment.
I dont agree with her stance on many many issues, and I will happily debate those with her. But, I'd have to be a weak individual to think that my argument is helped by besmirching the good name, of a brave and conscientious woman.