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From: rjw@ptsfc.UUCP (Rod Williams)
Newsgroups: net.flame,net.politics
Subject: Re: Northern Ireland
Message-ID: <253@ptsfc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 15-Jan-85 15:11:15 EST
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Posted: Tue Jan 15 15:11:15 1985
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Reply-To: rjw@ptsfc.UUCP (Rod Williams)
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Thanks to Cheryl for putting the Northern Ireland situation in some
perspective. I share her distaste for the IRA and frustration with
the British government for doggedly maintaining the status quo, all
the while refusing even to consider possible political initiatives
towards peace there. The fact is that as long as 1 million people
insist on remaining British (to the very great chagrin of mainland
Britain :-)) and are supported in that insistence by the British
government, there can be no hope of peace. On the other hand, a
British withdrawal at this point would engulf the whole island in
violence much worse than anything seen thus far.

The Dublin government's proposals, rejected out of hand by Mrs
Thatcher, deserve more respect and consideration. Clearly, any
political solution will involve compromises on all sides - it's
time for London and the Ulster Unionists to sit down and talk about
the kind of future they want for Northern Ireland - realizing that
there can be no going back to the happy Orange days prior to 1967.
-- 
 
 rod williams                       "...I said STIRRED, with an OLIVE
 dual!ptsfa!ptsfc!rjw                ...not SHAKEN, with a TWIST!"