A Word To Define Sides

Do you get your news from a nationalist or a loyalist source? One word can tell you.

Depending on which news source you read, the story came out of Derry (nationalist) or Londonderry (loyalist). Include or omit "London" and the reporter says a great deal. All with one word.

Before the English came, the town was Doire and its inhabitants were Hibernian. Conquerors get to name things as they like, and Doire became Anglicized to Derry. When the inhabitants grew restive, those in charge decided that the recalcitrant Irish-Catholics needed reminding of who was running things, and "London" was slapped on to Derry.

In spite of the gerrymandered border that came about as the result of the 1920's treaty, Derry was predominantly Irish and Catholic. A flexing of political muscle and changing attitudes has resulted in a retreat. Unless you're a staunch Unionist, of course. Then you'd not be cutting London out of anything.

It's just Derry, officially, or Londonderry if you must.

But back to the news. There was a huge march in Derry (or do you say Londonderry? I'm looking at you, Associated Press) on Sunday. The final march, the participants say.

It took decades for the authorities in London to admit that British paratroopers lost their cool and fired on peaceful, unarmed protesters. It took decades to launch an investigation into the Bloody Sunday killings of 1972. It took decades for the Crown to admit that the first report was a complete whitewash and that its troops did indeed murder innocent people who happened to be Irish and Catholic.

Those who marched every year, seeking an honest assessment of a tragedy, have been heard and they don't need to march anymore.

How long will it take the news sources to cop on to the advancements in human rights that have been made in Northern Ireland? Unless, that is, the reporters covering Ulster are staunch unionists themselves?