What Are Loyalists Loyal To?: The Other Villager

What Are Loyalists Loyal To?

A very interesting article and one I have lots of difficulty with. Loyalism? What are Loyalists loyal to exactly? It certainly isn’t the British State or its Constabulary, as we see every year when contentious marches are opposed. Perhaps it’s Protestantism? But then I don’t see much evidence of the teaching of Jesus being displayed by members of ‘Loyalist’ terrorist groups or their supporters.  It’s a word that doesn’t appear to have meaning, or at least one I can see.  Social and economic depravation is at it’s worst where terrorist, community organisations flourish the most.  The ‘Peoples Army’ have butchered more of their own community than the so called enemy ever did and this applies to the IRA also.  I come from a working class (Those that work) estate, I sought employment, found it and made a humble life for me and my family.  Never once did I or those around me cry and beg for Peace III monies. In an apparent catch up and using the exact same marxist, Sinn Fein mantra, Progressive Loyalists are now adopting this ‘Poor me’, begging bowl strategy.  A common trait within the socialist community. Respect is not given, it is earned!  How do you expect Republicans to respect your culture and traditions when you insist in parading it over the top of them on an annual basis?  For the record, I support the right to parade, it is an important part of the culture and history of this Country, but refusal to negotiate where offence is taken is downright stupid. You don’t believe Republicans have moved in anyway shape or form to respect the view point of your community?  Not even that they have declared the armed struggle as a failure and are now implimenting British Rule in what they see as Ireland?  Sinn Fein have a strategy, they are sticking to it and it’s working.  Take the parade they voluntarily re-routed recently.  What did that tell the world?  It told the world that unlike the Loyalists, we are approachable and level headed. It invited the world to look at who the peacemakers are, who the resonable ones are.  It was of course a well thought out and deliberate strategy, but as far as image and moulding opinions was concerned, it was a very clever and cynical move indeed. Contrast that with the violence, stubborn attitudes and economically unsound behaviour displayed on the Crumlin Road/Ardoyne. How do we move on then? For starters, we need to leave the ‘Poor me’ attitude behind. We need real politics and not the sectarian drivel we have at the moment.  When we stop looking at people as Catholics or Protestants and start looking at them as individuals, only then will we slowly start to make the economic and social changes you crave. Hopefully we can do away with the ‘No one likes us we don’t care’ belief and put out a genuine hand of friendship to those we previously saw as our enemies, maybe then the silver lining can be realised.