The Road To Peace Runs Crooked

The Stormont Assembly met, the British shut down several military bases, and The Troubles faded into memory.

No British soldiers killed in years, no bombs or bullets or goings on. Just the Shinners and the DUP blowing hard, never striking a lethal blow.

People grew comfortable with the peace. They forgot that the St. Andrews Agreement was between the Provies and the Brits. The Real IRA, the INLA, they had nothing to do with peace and wanted nothing to do with a cease fire. For them, it was a united Ireland or nothing.

The world has been reminded that the road to peace is long and hard, a rock-strewn path that may yet hide a land mine.

Two young British soldiers were gunned down at Massereene barracks in Antrim. They were preparing to go to Afghanistan, to fight another type of terror, when the Real IRA made a grand gesture of opposition to a continued partition of Ireland. A couple of local lads, delivering pizzas, were seriously wounded and may yet die.

And for what?

Eight hundred years of struggle haven't united the country. Sure it was foolish of Michael Collins to accept the terms of the treaty in 1921, but what was done is done.

Young Protestants leave the north of Ireland for England in droves, to attend university and never come back. Belfast is the capital city of intolerance and they don't see any future in an insular little colony. The Catholics stay on, holding Irish passports. Over time, the Catholic population will climb and over time, there will be a majority of people who will want a binding referendum that will bring the six counties back into the Republic of Ireland.

Until then, there's diplomacy and civil disobedience.

There is never a place for cold-blooded murder.