>>Ive wondered about the speech you refer to and >>I'm somewhat confused by his meaning. �I >>thought the song was about the killings which >>took place in the city of Derry in 1972 where >>13 unarmed protesters were killed by British >>soldiers.

He was in fact refering to the IRA's 'topping' of Bloody Sunday when they bombed a Veteran's Day Parade in Eniskillen back in 1987 killing a few dozen senior citizens.

FYI, the way the current Bloody Sunday enquiry is going, the soldiers and other witnesses still claim that the IRA were using the protestors as a shield to fire upon the soldiers. That's why they opened fire in the first place. It's best to check Ulster sources on these things first because many American outlets are so anti-Brit on the subject it's not funny.

Also, it's interesting that after 9-11 the Irish-American lobby have piped down...I wonder how many New Yorkers gave money to IRA/Sinn Fein and then expected the Brits to come and help GW in his "war on terrorism" surely they (and a number of senators) ought to be investigated for sending money to Irish terrorist groups?  

>>I never thought he was sympathizing with the >>IRA but rather the oppressed people of Northern >>Ireland. �

He is. The reason I refered to it was because a certain poster suggested that I was gloating over the deaths of IRA operatives, I suggested he listen to that speech so he could see why I have no sympathy for anyone who murders senior citizens in the name of "the revolution".

Might you be able to remind me what's sick in giving traitors some rough justice and what's sick in not loosing sleep over murderers getting what they deserve?

>>I'm confused because here's a guy who'd been >>championing the war on apartite in South Africa >>and for the oppressed people in Central America >>in addition to Blacks in America but he doesn't >>appear to have a whole lot to say for the >>oppressed people within his own country.

Firstly, if anyone's 'opressed' in Ireland it's there on both sides of the divide. There are as many Catholic bigots as there are Protestant ones.

Secondly, while I appreciate the wish of Irish republicans for a 32 county state the most casual observers of Irish history could tell you that Ireland has never been united. I've got poetrty dating back 6 or 8 centuries that documents how Ulster has always been fighting against the other counties. It wasn't just Mick Collins not winning a free state that 'birthed' Northern Ireland.

For as long as the majority of Northerners want to stay in the UK, surely it's only democratic to allow that? You probably know that since 1968 there have been 3000 casualties of the 'armed struggle' and they haven't been 3000 republicans, they've been innocents killed by the kinds of terrorists America pretends to rally against but in fact many support.

Also, the aim of the original IRA was to build an independent Socialist republic, why have the Americans been looking the other way on this when Allende was overthrown in Chile because he was a socialist. Either it's stupidity or some kind of schiopzophrenia.

In answer to your question though, Bono has been a supporter of the Good Friday agreement that will allow either the status quo to remain or for a United Ireland to be born. Since his Father was a Catholic and his mother was a Protestant he knows that it isn't a black and white issue. Like so many real Irish people, they don't care about 'sides' they just want to see peace.

Does that answer your question? Oh yes, this is my first piece of evidence where I've seen a left leaning bias in the media. In the US, Sinn Fein/IRA will often get postive spin whilst Ulster Protestants either get wholly negative spin or nothing. If there wasn't a media bias, the US news people would gladly explain and cover both sides of the story.

Yours Apolitically,
rms