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Shamrockoppy

9/11/2017

2 Comments

 
Picture
This week the Taoiseach came under some serious sectarian fire for wearing a Poppy, a symbol of remembrance for fallen British soldiers of WW1, many of whom were Irish or of Irish descent.

The level of sectarian comments were outright disgraceful, the equivalent of being called a ‘nigger lover’ if he had worn a BlackLivesMatter badge.

On the eve of Brexit we have one of the greatest opportunities of a United Ireland, to carry out a border poll to solidify an opportunity for reunification as outlined in the Good Friday Agreement.

How do people react, with deep rooted and callous nationalism that shows how small minded and resentful we are as a Nation.

Now I’m not suggesting the Taoiseach wearing a poppy would swing hardened loyalists to vote for a United Ireland, but it would show that we’re open minded about diversity of culture and accepting of their beliefs, to the point that it may ease tensions and prevent actual conflict post polling results, should results favour unity.

The reaction to Leo wearing the poppy reminded me of the riots which ensued in Dublin City in 2006 following a planned Orange March, which nearly resulted in Charlie Bird getting killed, or hospitalized, or having to wear a band-aid or something.

This litmus test (Taoiseach wearing a poppy) shows how unready the Republic of Ireland is for reunification. It shows how much people identify with a Nationalist narrative which is more suited to a border remaining in place, if it were to fall I can’t imagine people coping with the idea that we would have to create a new constitution, select a less sectarian national anthem, or tolerate a DUP Fine Gael coalition which introduces Holy Water Charges.

I can’t imagine people calling for the next Orange March in Dublin to be rebranded as an all inclusive ReUnification Parade, I can’t imagine it because of people’s misguided hatred for a man born in Holland over 300 years ago. If we ever agreed to a United Ireland I’d be the first person in that ReUnification Parade pledging to call my first born son Billy and my second born son Billy Two (girls would be Margaret and Theresa).

It doesn’t help that Leo is deeply unpopular outside his own toilet cubicle but anyone who challenges his decision to wear a poppy is the opposite of patriotic, a true patriot would commend our Taoiseach for holding an olive branch on the eve of Robert Emmet’s Epitaph being read aloud on the streets of Derry, on the mouth of the river Shannon and on the Hill of Tara.

People’s reaction to the Taoiseach wearing the poppy is a reflection of the deep rooted casual sectarianism of the south, which people are actually oblivious to, they wouldn’t even consider themselves sectarian for their hate speech or abusive comments.

A United Ireland would see the DUP take between 10-20% of Dail seats yet people remain outraged that the Taoiseach should wear a symbol which shows tolerance and acceptance, a revolution of a free and open society with cross border values.

So well done to the boys of the poppy hate brigade who conducted attacks on Irish Unity in small columns of flying Twitterati, it’s heartbreaking to see how unprepared you are for a thirty two county Republic. 
2 Comments
catherine ryan
10/11/2017 09:19:29 am

Most find the poppy offensive in the republic of ireland not because of sectarianism, as irish men died in those wars, but because it is an emblem created by a butcher to try to make socially acceptable the mass blood sacrifice of millions by bloody elitists.Haig created it to make soldiers & their families willing participants in their own slaughter. Pretty amazing that not accepting the poppy or the lily is now being spun as anti-patriotic.
You can't be from the republic to think that the majority are biased based on religious belief. Despite decades of anti-british indoctrination by church, state & school, most are for peace & tolerance.The majority would have no love for the DUP but would equally detest FG, or SF for that matter. I do agree with being more inclusive of the orange order for the simple reason that divisions maintained by interested parties in the north prevent citizens from uniting against exploitation by those who benefit from the status quo. Joblessness is just as jobless in a unionist estate as it is in a nationalist one, with all of the associated problems.
Burn emblems of war and stop using patriotism to see young men killed.

Reply
Pádraig Ó Raghaill
10/11/2017 09:54:10 am

Semiotics matter in politics even if our very divisional Taoiseach does not think so. You say how it is only a "nationalistic' people who object to the Poppy which is instilling a very narrow view. It is an absolute problem when anyone in politics wears something that has an emotional component. People are complicated; it is often best to avoid what can be determined as an insult to belief structure.

It can be people that are anti-war and can be viewed as the glorification of war. It can be a wider meaning of the glorification of imperialistic wars, all the way to modern day. It does not matter what the Poppy is included in the case of this specific pin. The Poppy has multiple interpretations of the general public good and bad. He could have worn two pins or no pin, the only way not to offend would have been with no pen. Even if we put the Lilly with Poppy, it would still irk people that see war as the ultimate offence against humanity.

It does not mean he/people should not wear symbols but you can never fully account of how that meaning will resonate with people, as well, people are complicated and cannot be distilled to an -ism

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