Barra McGrory, Sinn Fein and the IRA!

(John Coulter, Irish Daily Star)

I’ve a Tan-astic aspiration inspired by and thanks to the Shinners sticking to their guns over the naming of a children’s park after former IRA hunger striker Raymond McCreesh.

As an unrepentant Radical Right-wing Unionist, I admire the republicans who – unlike the Stoops – would not be brow-beaten by us Unionists into ditching the McCreesh park title even through it was a democratic vote.

I’m a huge fan of one of the most effective British units in Ireland, the ruthless Black and Tans and my aspiration is to have a Black and Tans Memorial Garden dedicated to those who served and died during the bloody War of Independence.

Unionists should take a leaf out of the Shinners’ books and start dedicating and renaming parks after loyalists heroes in the same way republicans have stuck firm to their principles concerning Raymond McCreesh’s memory.

To many Unionists, McCreesh was the spawn of satan because of his links to the 1976 Kingsmills massacre in which 10 Protestant workmen were butchered by the Provos’ South Armagh Brigade.

But to the vast majority of republicans, McCreesh was a martyr and freedom fighter.

Unfortunately, many Unionists seem to bottle up their emotions and try not to make too much fuss about honouring dead heroes.

Republicans like to indulge in very public demonstrations of remembrance, such as the annual Tyrone Volunteers Day.

The Stoops have their knickers in a twist and are talking about giving SDLP councillors who didn’t attend the meeting to vote against naming the park a political spanking.

That Stoop sabre rattling has more to do with trying to win back the Newry and Armagh Commons seat with the help of tactical voting from Protestants.

As an unrepentant radical Right-wing Unionist, I fully support the democratic vote in Newry council to keep the park called after McCreesh.

In return, I hope the Shinners will not get hot under the collar for my campaign to have a memorial garden named after the famous Black and Tans, who played such a pivotal role in kick starting the peace process which resulted in the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty.

While the Brits hammered the Irish Volunteers and Irish Citizen Army into the ground during the Easter Rising, they found legendary IRA terrorists Dan Breen and Michael Collins a different challenge.

The Tans laid the foundation for the Treaty, and their role needs to be fully recognised. Breen and Collins realised that the British could not be fought conventionally as in 1916. A brutal terrorist campaign was the only strategy, and hence the IRA was born.

The sheer psychotic brutality of the Tans was captured in the cinema with the period award-winning masterpiece, The Wind That Shakes The Barley.

The War of Independence is also known to republicans as the Tan War. Just over 7,000 Tans served in the campaign, and almost one-third of them were killed.

Whether the view is taken that the British agreed to talk to Collins through embarrassment at Tan tactics, or Collins was beaten to the negotiating table because he knew he could never match the Tans’ brutality, the fact is – the Tans can never be airbrushed out of Irish history and their role in securing the Treaty.

For this achievement, the Tans deserve a memorial garden. And no doubt with the Somme and Rising centenaries next year, Unionists and republicans will be rushing around trying to rename parks, streets and anything they can possibly change to remember their respective heroes.

If Sinn Féin can win a democratic vote over McCreesh, then hardline loyalists may try and persuade unionist-controlled councils to rename parks commemorating Billy Wright, known as King Rat, who was responsible for planning the deaths of up to 40 Catholics.

Loyalists might also want parks named after Lennie Murphy, the leader – or Master Butcher – of the notorious Shankill Butchers gang, or Robin Jackson, dubbed the Jackal, believed to have masterminded the Monaghan and Dublin bombings in the Seventies.

After all, the British later used Tan tactics to defeat the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya in the 1950s.

What’s sauce for the goose, is sauce for the gander. Let McCreesh Park remain – and let’s get on with building the Black and Tans Memorial Garden!

March 3, 2015________________

This article appeared in the March 2, 2015 edition of the Irish Daily Star.

ULSTERS FALLEN VOLUNTEERS AND OUR NATIONAL STANDARD, MUST NOT BE BETRAYED.

At this time of National crisis all sincere Unionists have a duty to unite, under the Covenant OF Authentic, original Ulster Loyalism, IE, FOR GOD AND ULSTER.

Now is the time to be done with, pompous self righteous posturing, by, our self seeking, small minded, so called Unionist Politicians and secretly aspiring, wannabe, fringe Loyalist, Parties.

The provisional IRA/Sinn Fein, are now both politically and militarily in their strongest ever position, in the near future they will have complete control of the armed forces of the Republic of Ireland.

Here in Northern Ireland, thanks to a  constantly bickering, ever increasing, multitude of divisive, so called Unionist Parties and successive, treacherous British Governments who have meekly allowed convicted IRA/Sinn Fein terrorists to be elected into Government in Northern Ireland, our own security forces can now be immediately hamstrung and nullified by a ridiculous motion of concern from the IRA/Sinn Fein and a “peace at any price” Alliance party, with their woolly headed justice minister.

Drastic situations require drastic actions, the Ulster Volunteers of 1912 and the Ulster Volunteers of the early seventies, were not found wanting in our Countries hour of need.

Let’s make a start by ensuring, that an agreed, unanimously acceptable, non divisive, United unionist candidate represents Unionism in EVERY CONSTITUANCY, at the fast approaching Westminster Elections.

The ordinary decent people of Northern Ireland are again facing “DAYS OF STRESS AND TRIAL,” not since 1912 has Northern Ireland been in more need of, a strong sincere United Unionist Voice, at Westminster.

A strong sincere United Unionist Voice, not to simply slavishly obey, the dictates of a notoriously un-trustworthy Westminster, nor the dictates of an equally untrustworthy Conservative, or Labour Government, but to ensure that the democratic right of the people of Northern Ireland to decide their own future is protected.

Northern Irelands right to United Kingdom Status, has been loyally earned by the precious blood of many generations of our forefathers, sacrificed on countless battlefields throughout the World, in defence of other peoples democracies and under the Sacred Colours of, Our United, National Standard.

THEIR CAUSE FOR GOD AND ULSTER, WE MUST NEVER DENY.

Charlie Freel.

WITH GOD AND BASIC HUMAN MORAL DECENCY ON THEIR SIDE, THE LAST THING ASHERS BAKERY NEEDS IS THE DUP.

Without a doubt Ashers Bakery has already won the argument, with regard to the homosexual cake row. I also believe that basic common sense and basic human moral decency, would have prevailed and that, Ashers Bakery would also have easily defeated, the ludicrously intolerant, charges, lodged against them in the courts.

The totally biased, undemocratic, unelected, and seemingly unaccountable, equalities commission, would then have been exposed as the totally incompetent, waste of tax payers money, which they have proved themselves to be.

Remember this is the same biased, totally undemocratic, equalities commission that, wasted thousands of pounds of tax payers money organising numerous, different types of public consultation procedures, with regard to the flying of our democratically chosen National Standard at Belfast City Hall.

The overall result of these opinion polls was, an overwhelming vote in favour of the status quo.  The farcically biased, equalities commission then proceeded to ignore the results of their own very costly opinion polls, and advised the Belfast City Council to change the existing practice, of flying the National Standard every day, thereby rendering their very costly public opinion polls, a total waste of tax payers money and a betrayal of our democratically chosen National Standard.

The probably very well intentioned but very clumsy attempts by the DUP to introduce a religious conscience clause, has merely served to muddy the waters for Ashers Bakery, in what is very clearly a case of Civil and Religious liberty being deliberately abused, in an attempt to force Ashers Bakery to personally inscribe one of their products with a statement of support, for something which was totally offensive to their own personal, sincerely held basic religious beliefs.

The vast majority of people in Northern Ireland, including many from the homosexual community, immediately realised the stupidity of this ludicrous attempt to abuse the Civil and Religious Liberty of Ashers Bakery.

The DUPs clumsy attempts to introduce a conscience clause, has gifted every extreme, looney left and God hating group in Northern Ireland and the UK, the opportunity to jump up and down protesting, on their pink band wagons and even pinker Trojan Horses,  thereby allowing them to obscure and detract publicity away from the real issue.IE, The ludicrous attempts of the biased, equalities commissions to deny, the Civil and Religious Liberty of Ashers Bakery, to refuse to personally inscribe a product, in a manner which was totally offensive to their own sincerely held, personal basic Christian and Moral Beliefs.

All over the Far East, Asia and Africa, at this present moment in time persecuted Christians are being slaughtered, via intolerance, for refusing to deny their sincere faith. I sincerely doubt if Ashers Bakery will surrender their Faith, their basic Civil and Religious liberty, or their basic, Human Moral Principles, to appease this intolerantly, bigoted, equalities commission and the other assorted God haters, foolishly lined up against them.

Charlie Freel

Every cleric, nun, pastor and reverend should show the courage of their Christian convictions and see a screening of the erotic bonkbuster, 50 Shades of Grey, starring Ireland’s Hollywood hunk actor Jamie Dornan.

And if these Christian clergy had any genuine courage, they would bring their flocks along to see a contentious screening.

The fact that clerics – especially from the Irish Christianity’s fundamentalist fringe – are ordering their flocks to snub it unveils the real dilemma which the Churches face.

It is not the bondage and brutality that has embarrassed the clergy; it’s the clear fact the modern day Christian Church has abandoned its spiritual responsibility to deliver sex education to the community.

Instead of lambasting their congregations about the evils of ’50 Shades’, clerics should be encouraging churches to watch the film – and then discuss the relevance of the sexual scenes unveiled in the film.

Sadly, modern Christianity seems petrified to want to educate its denominations about the joys of sex, preferring instead to dump this moral obligation onto the schools as part of science or religion lessons.

How many Christian marriages could be saved if they were spiced up with some of the bondage scenes from ’50 Shades’?

Unfortunately, the Christian Churches are stuck in the late 19^th century of the Victorian era when hundreds of missionaries from Ireland and Britain travelled to Africa to convert the heathen natives to Christianity.

Missionaries were shocked at the sexual techniques of many of these tribes and invented the so-called ‘Missionary Position’ to combat what they perceived to be the un-Biblical sexual activities of the unconverted natives.

There would be a lot fewer Christian young people and Christian marriages facing a sexual crisis in their relationships if clerics and nuns took a more pro-active role in sex education.

Tragically, modern day sex education in the churches is nothing more than ‘stay a virgin until your married, keep to the missionary position and if you have any queries, ask your local biology teacher or discreetly discuss it with your chums in the playground!

The Churches would rather indulge in Hell-fire sermons about the Biblical evils of fornication, adultery and homosexuality, instead of stressing the joys and role of sex in a relationship.

In reality, the Churches have a credibility problem. Given the celibacy pledge in Catholicism, how can a couple seek advice from a supposedly virginal priest or nun on how the bedroom can become a place of pleasure rather than a bolthole of boredom?

In Protestantism, sex education is seen in many churches as ‘dirty talk’ and many couples – even those who have attended pre-marriage classes – are brushed aside by the ‘we recommend trial and error’ methods.

Okay, I understand the brutality against a women in ’50 Shades’ could become very contentious. However, given how many women are treated as second class citizens by several Christian denominations, surely the female submissive elements of the film would be right up the street of the anti-women brigade in churches?

And given the film’s erotic bondage scenes, I can equally understand how the militant tub thumpers will argue ’50 Shades’ will pollute people’s minds.

But the protests from some Christians churches makes me wonder if it is just a smokescreen because the clerics know some of their flock are indulging in the bondage sessions in their own bedrooms.

Fundamentalist fury at ‘50 Shades’ will soon evaporate, and the Christian churches will sigh with relief that the spotlight has moved away from them facing up to their spiritual and social responsibilities.

Maybe the Christian Church should campaign to have the Biblical passage about people becoming ‘one flesh’ left out, then the Church could once more duck its duties. I’ll probably be hung by the wrists as a heretic for suggesting this!

Conscience Clause Protects the Founding Principles of Ulster Protestantism

I have followed the Asher’s bakery case with interest. I believe that the entire case was contrived and maliciously set up by those seeking to promote an aggressive gay agenda that seeks not equality, but instead to have gay rights trump the right to freedom of conscience.

Those who campaign for gay rights are entitled to equality, but so to are those who strongly oppose gay marriage on the basis of deeply held religious convictions.

If one claims to be a Protestant then this entails following Biblical principles. Indeed the Ulster Volunteer Force who formed to resist Home Rule held to the words “For God And Ulster”.

The argument being put forward that introducing a conscience clause (using powers granted to Northern Ireland under devolution) is anti British, when followed through to it’s logical conclusion is simply ludicrous.

As Paul Givan pointed out on the Nolan TV show last week, the Ulster Volunteer Force formed to resist Home Rule that was to be imposed by a British parliament.

If we follow the notion that we should slavishly follow our mother parliament through to it’s logical conclusion then it would lead us to the point of saying that the Ulster Volunteer Force should never have been formed and instead the people of Ulster should have just bowed the knee to the mother parliament.

I oppose gay marriage and in my personal opinion I feel it goes against the very principles of Protestantism, and given my view that loyalism springs from Protestantism then I can only conclude that supporting gay marriage and seeking to trample over the religious beliefs of persons who wish to follow the Bible would be a gross betrayal of Ulster Loyalism.

Of course loyalism is a mixed bag and there are many who would seek to separate loyalism from Protestantism. That is all part and parcel of a broad based movement. The problem comes when you try and reconcile the founding principles of the covenant and the Ulster Volunteer Force-who formed to resist Home Rule under the banner carrying the words ‘For God and Ulster’- with a new set of principles that oppose religious beliefs. This simply does not work. It is illogical.

I support the conscience clause. There needs to be protection for those with religious beliefs. You cannot force someone to support a cause that they wholeheartedly oppose. This is the agenda of the left wing. It is verging on communism. This left wing agenda seeks to destroy centuries of noble values all under the auspices of ‘equality’.

I am no fan of the DUP, but on this occasion they are absolutely correct to try and protect those with religious convictions who are being increasingly persecuted by a politically correct agenda of appeasement.

The Courts in the United Kingdom and the European court of human rights have continually held in favour of the protection of religious beliefs. Marriage is a Biblical tradition, gay marriage is seeking to rob part of a religion they claim to oppose and make it their own. That is in itself illogical. If those who campaign for gay marriage oppose the Bible then why on earth would they want to follow the Biblical tradition of marriage which is between one man and one woman?

If those who oppose the conscience clause are genuine in their opposition then they should explain clearly how this reconciles with our Protestant culture and heritage and indeed how it reconciles with the founding principles of the Ulster Volunteer Force who fought and died in the name of God and Ulster.

Jamie Bryson