{"id":886,"date":"2012-06-22T08:50:51","date_gmt":"2012-06-22T07:50:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/?p=886"},"modified":"2012-06-22T08:50:51","modified_gmt":"2012-06-22T07:50:51","slug":"out-of-the-quagmire-william-mitchell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/?p=886","title":{"rendered":"Out of the Quagmire William Mitchell"},"content":{"rendered":"

Out of the Quaqmire<\/strong> \u2013 William Mitchell<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The current political DUP\/Sinn Fein \u2018carve up\u2019 at Stormont seems to be considerably frustrating for us all.\u00a0 Decisions can\u2019t be made and devolution can\u2019t function properly whilst those who govern continue to appease each other with equal \u2018slices of the cake\u2019.\u00a0 We need look no further than the recent Girdwood fiasco.\u00a0 Although such behaviour is historically routine to the ordinary voter, we were promised so much more with the formation of the Executive Assembly and the Peace Process.\u00a0 Just recently, I was listening to some music and the words of this verse struck a chord with me.<\/p>\n

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\u201cRing them bells St. Catherine from the top of the room<\/p>\n

Ring them from the fortress for the lillies that bloom<\/p>\n

For the lines are long and the fighting is strong<\/p>\n

And we\u2019re breaking down the distance between right & wrong\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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In hearing them I began reflecting on what had went wrong with our current political situation and the metaphors in the words helped influence my thinking.\u00a0 The ringing of bells is an age-old tradition for the practice of disseminating news.\u00a0 How often have we heard of the \u2018Town Crier\u2019 summoning folk by ringing his bell \u2013 or Santa, for that matter, to beckon the children?\u00a0 The top of the room implies a position of advantage from the sanctuary of safety where upon you can witness a new dawn in the form of the blooming Lillies.\u00a0 And the determined battle lines are far-reaching suggesting everyone is involved but it is worth pursing because both opposing sides are getting closer.<\/p>\n

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All this seemed metaphorically indicative of progress made since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.\u00a0 However, optimism these days has wilted.\u00a0 The ringing of bells seems more relevant to the practice of \u201cbring out your dead\u201d during the Black Plaque.\u00a0 The top of the room is now a position of power, not from which to witness a new dawn but from where those elites can look down on others who are repressed.\u00a0 No longer do the flowers bloom for they are trampled under the feet of ministers in jackboots who summon party reinforcements to extend the battlelines and strengthen the \u2018right\u2019 in opposition to the \u2018wrong\u2019.<\/p>\n

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So what has changed?\u00a0 It seemed the distance between right and wrong, or to be more accurately between two opposing arguments on the one continuum, was contained within a positive political framework where at least agreeing to disagree was the order of the day.\u00a0 And whilst the framework was fragile it appeared to be holding because each opposing side seemed prepared to compromise somewhat or, at least, take it in turn to \u2018jump first\u2019.\u00a0 Holding the frame in place was the office of the First and Deputy First Minister under the auspices of Mr Paisley and Mr McGuiness respectively.\u00a0 Of course, this was just a fa\u00e7ade played out under the guise of the caricature now referred to as the \u2018Chuckle Brothers\u2019 but probably more accurately attributed to a Movie Macabre.<\/p>\n

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Mr Paisley, it appears, was allowed his swansong, his crowning moment before being \u2018put out to graze\u2019 and replaced by Mr Robinson.\u00a0 Now the positive political framework has been shattered and replaced.\u00a0 We\u2019ve now changed channels and instead of watching the Chuckle Brothers we\u2019re induced by repeat episodes of the Blame Game.\u00a0 The distance between right and wrong is back on the agenda, played out this time by what I can only describe as isometric politics.\u00a0 For any of you of a certain vintage familiar with the old \u2018Bullworker\u2019 you may remember that isometric strength was developed on the notion of equal and opposite force.\u00a0 You pushed both ends of the Bullworker until you could push no more \u2013 you were neither succumbing to the force or overcoming it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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This is what I mean by isometric politics \u2013 both sides applying equal force to the same opposing arguments.\u00a0 \u201cYou want the Maze developed \u2013 we don\u2019t.\u00a0 You want a minister in Police and Justice \u2013 we don\u2019t.\u00a0 We want RIR troops parading on the streets \u2013 you don\u2019t \u201d and so on and so forth.<\/p>\n

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What does this quaqmire give rise to?\u00a0 According to the defunct, not-so-long ago IMC report \u2013 dissidents.<\/strong>\u00a0 Lord Alderdice makes what he calls a reciprocal link between the Executive\u2019s failure to act and the rise in dissident activity.\u00a0 He claims there is enough factual evidence going back 4 years to suggest this.\u00a0 He adds that thankfully the dissident activity has been more of quantity and not as successful as they would like to be in achieving their violent objectives.<\/p>\n

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In the long term, what I find equally concerning is the rise in dissidence<\/strong> \u2013 the change in attitude, rhetoric, behaviour, beliefs and so forth from our so-called leaders which is gradually subsumed by the \u2018ordinary\u2019 person on the street.\u00a0 This is what\u2019s putting the \u201cdistance between right and wrong\u201d back on the political radar. However, this \u2018distance\u2019 is being filled again, as in the past, with an appetite for violence.\u00a0 We see evidence of this in the rise in paramilitary punishments in Republican communities, which only reinforces the need for all of us, who are committed to transformation, continuing with our work. The ACT Initiative, which is the UVF\/RHC\u2019s strategic approach to demilitarisation and reintegration is an example of why there are no longer \u2018kneecappings\u2019 in Loyalist communities.\u00a0 \u00a0Such work is rarely made public but may prove to be a contributory factor in helping us out of the quaqmire.\u00a0 My experience is that the participants are committed to positive change for all our communities and I for one will ring them bells for all to hear.<\/p>\n

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