This island is easily big enough for two cultures

national | arts and media | opinion/analysis Thursday July 31, 2003 22:09 by Billy

SHOULD nationalists accept once and or all that unionists have the right to have their own identity and culture and to celebrate their own festivals, then calls for "calm" over the Twelfth period would be unnecessary.

Any difficulties experienced can be blamed on the immaturity and bigotry of those who cannot abide anything that does not pay homage to Irish nationalism.

One does not need to have a degree in quantum physics to understand the strategy of those who are opposed to the Twelfth celebrations.

Burn Orange halls, attack Orange parades, cause enough trouble, utter well-considered negative terminology and blame it all on the victims so paving the way for getting the Twelfth to be stigmatised or even banned.

This then would leave the way open for one identity and one culture only, Irish nationalism, to be celebrated.

Nationalism is a failure: it has not the capacity or morality to embrace a people that sings from a different song sheet.

The European aspiration of "United Through Diversity" stops short at the shores of this island.

This sectarianism highlights the weasel words coming in their minds that some people will be more equal than others.

While nationalists continue with their hostility to cultural equality and mutual esteem, then a peaceful future for this island is very bleak.

There is absolutely no possibility of the Twelfth not being celebrated, so any opposition and attacks to it can only run and run.

Those who protest against single identity and single cultural allegiance should also take a critical look at the exclusivity of the GAA that is the darling of the media.

There is one comfort to be taken by unionists in the face of this relentless bitter hatred: the Republic and its people will definitely not want to take on a land full of enmity and conflict caused by their own belligerent and insatiable supporters.