Conference tallis::celt

	I am Irish, married with two children (both daughters).
	I am a member of:
		Earthwatch, an Environmental group.
		The Irish Military History Society.
		New Consensus, an Irish peace group.

	I subscribe to a monthly magazine called History Today,
	and I always buy Scientific American. For newspapers,
	I regularly read the "Irish Times" but also read the
	"Irish Independent", "Sunday Independent", "Sunday Tribune"
	or "Sunday Times" on occasions.

	Poltically moderate, strong emphasis on social liberalism
	in education and social affairs. I cannot say I
	subscribe fully to the aims of any one Irish political
	party. I would say the SDLP are closest to what I like,
	and I can't even vote for them! There is going to 
	be a referendum later in the year on abortion/ travel
	and information. I intend to become closely involved
	in that.

	On Northern Ireland, I strongly believe in unity among
	the people living there before progress can be made to any
	realistic United Ireland. I am content to be guided by
	the moderate constitutional parties there, like the
	SDLP, while believing that I must also do my share as
	an individual to bring peace. I believe I must do 
	all in my power to pursuade or coerce the paramilitaries
	on both sides to give up the guns. That also means
	pursuing injustice perpetrated by the Governments involved, 
	North or South. I believe this will be a long painful process,
	but we must stick with it if we are to hand on to our
	children a country with any semblance of decency.
	I have signed the New Consensus Peace Pledge.

	My views on Northern Ireland are influenced by
	a visit paid there in the '70s when I was got too 
	close for comfort to an IRA bombing. The note in 
	which I described this incident has been hidden, 
	perhaps correctly. It is not an occasion I often 
	talk about, and do not really wish to.

	Toby
    

    
    
    I stand or rather sit in Digital's Belfast office among my Digital
    colleagues both Protestant & Catholic and am extremely happy here.
    
    This office has been damaged by an IRA car bomb in the last few years
    and the back axle of the car was thrown through the air and landed only
    feet from where we were standing after being evacuated. 
    
    NICE PEOPLE WHAT? 
    
    
    I was  Digital's 4th hired employee in Northern Ireland back in 1977.
    
    I am a Protestant technically as my family were members of the
    Salvation Army and brought up to love my neighbours. As I was born in 
    Derry most of my childhood friends were Roman Catholic.
    
    I dispair at the hatred which appears to be able to be generated by
    people in this notefile who are thousands of miles away and appear
    intent on  picking old scabs which should have healed many, many years
    ago. IE. CS GAS has re-appeared later in this conference.
    
    I was 16 in 1969 and often walked home having to suffer mild effects of
    this weapon. My view here is," if you're not in, you cann't win, or
    (more appropriately), If you're not there you don't need to care!!.
    
     
    
    Is there smoke without fire?? (Both sides please think deeply).
    
    I hope this note file will not be remembering CS Gas in 2269 as my so
    called side are doing now in the marching season . 1690 and all that!
    
    But life goes on as normal I work both North and South of the border,
    get no hassle, love my work, get paid, breed horses and wouldn't live
    anywhere else.
    
    By the way, I now live in Carrickfergus, which is where the Dutch man
    (KING BILLY) landed and for the record has the smallest Catholic
    population in Northern Ireland, but I'd rather be Derry as I call it or
    Londonderry as my now neighbours insist on calling it.
    
    			Slan Leat
    
    
    			Gareth
    
     
    
     

    Gareth,
    
    
    The problem has been caused by the British. I have lived in Belfast and
    most of my best friend were Protestant, one from Sandy Row. It is not
    the religion that separates us, it is the division of the communities.
    Britains old adage "Divide and conquer". They don't givwe two shits for
    the Irish, the divisions suit their needs. That is why I cannot
    understand why people cannot see this.
    
    I was stuck once in London and 2 chaps from Carrickfergus put me up,
    they were both Protestant, their brother was shot dead in Carrickfergus
    and they both wished that Ireland could be united. They were a father
    and son. The son loved the song "I wish I was in Carrickfergus". I
    often listen to a version of it in my car by Joan Baez and I remember
    those 2 lads. I lost contact with them but I have never forgotten them.
    When I might have had to sleep outdoors as a bank transfer from Spain
    arrived late, these guys who did not know me from Adam came to my
    rescue. I have many stories along a similar vein, they are all positive
    and they all show that there is a willingness among individuals to go
    along the one road to solve our common problems.
    
    The economic problems affect both communities, this is the issue that
    should be addressed, the energies would be better spent in this FIGHT.
    
    Ren�

    
    
    Rene,
    
    Being a non political animal myself I do not have strong feelings one
    way or the other, but your last statement mentions what in reality is
    the fear of many from both communities. THE ECONOMY. IE. How much
    better off financially are we under Britain. 
    
    The fact is, and I speak as one who has turned down numerous offers to
    move south, that my standard of living would fall if i moved.I spent
    three months researching this and I admit that the gap has narrowedin
    the last 2 years but overall I'd lose. 
    
    In particular the unemployed would be worse off and I don't see a glut
    of new jobs arriving because the border disappears, anyway hopefully it
    will disappear next year anyway. 
    
    Ireland is now starting to reap the benefits of the EEC and hopefully
    with 1993 and all that coming along something will come along to bring us
    back to the peace i remember of the early '60's.
    
    Secondly, whether it is true or not, there is a perception by  northern
    Prods. that the church makes  the laws in the south. The recent
    rape/abortion case was seen here as proof of that.
    
    I personally see a step from these ties as demonstrated in the recent
    reformendum, but it is a long hard road.
    
    Thinking about it i suppose you can think of the Roman Catholic Church
    being seen by Unionists as Westminster is seen by Nationalists.
    
    Have to go, talk later,
    	
    
    		Rgds
    		Gareth
      

    Gareth,
    
    I agree that it about time the Church got their asses out of peoples
    lives. Even Spain who has only had democracy for a short time now has
    managed to get the church out of their hair.
    
    I see very clearly from here how the church influenced everything in my
    life, from school, girlfriends etc. You could ALMOST not get married
    except through the church, I managed to escape.
    
    I have a choice and I feel that every day I make that choice. My
    children are not baptized, when they are ready they will be maybe. I
    remember my mother saying to me that they would go to "purgotery" if
    they were not baptized, this is the way the church brings people up,
    fear. If you do this wrong you will go to hell etc.
    
    I had a great chat with a priest from the North who works here in
    Geneva and he said he had to get out as the town he came from was too
    claustophic for him.
    
    If the Irish church saw the adds we have here in France for underwear,
    showing bare bums etc they would have seizures. I prefer to see people
    having the choice in their worship and the way they want to do it.
    
    Ren�

    
    Rene,
    
    I do not mind the church whatever demonination trying to infuence peoples 
    moral standards & behaviour since, I believe ,if more people showed
    a little more love and charity to their fellow man this world would be
    a heck of alot nicer place to live! 
    
    The power of the church dictating the law of the land is a perception by 
    Ulster Unionists regarding the South. 
    
    In the North's case clergy on both sides who if they do not actually incite 
    violence only pay lip service to it's condemnation. Can they be said to
    portray a christian image? I personally think not.
    
    I was brought up in a strict religious family, ie. church 3 times on a
    Sunday, I still don't drink or smoke and it would go too much against
    the inbuilt grain to do so now. But I quite happily will accept
    divorce,abortion etc. which I suppose are far more serious issues than
    having an odd pint or a smoke. But that's where valuing differences
    comes in and if we can understand peoples religious,political,sexual or
    whatever differences without having to adopt them then life may not be
    so bitter and twisted.  
    
    Reading over the above it's getting deep. Must go and earn some more
    dollars for KEN and then feed and excercise the horses,
    
    
    		talk later
    		Gareth