Fred Johnston attacks Provos

galway | anti-war / imperialism | other press

Wednesday May 31, 2006 00:24

by TomTom

Letter in Galway Advertiser

Conservatism suits a sort of republicanism
Dear Editor,

Being a serial letter writer, I am unable to avoid replying to John Devlin's offering, 'Bravo to Nelson's bombers,' a headline which itself says it all, really.

Part of the subtext of Mr Devlin's letter is that one should not have a voice, one should not speak, one should remain ignorant and controllable. This kind of conservatism suits the more antideluvian forms of republicanism, which see things in black-and-white; interestingly, very much in the same fundamentalist mould as George W Bush, for whom ' with-me-or-against-me' and hearing voices from God have become symbols of presidential integrity.

That the sentiments of Mr Devlin's letter, absurdly archaic as they are, may reflect upon may of his fellow Galwegians, their families and their relatives, some of whom will have served in the British forces but see themselves as being no less Irish, doesn't occur to him.

It is important to Mr Devlin and those who think like him that Irish history is not closely examined for its various shades of grey; vital that we have a Brits-bad/We-good dichotomy and nothing more complex. Even as the cenotaph in Derry is framed in the Union Jack alongside the Tricolour, Mr Davis lashes out, celebrating as heroes men who blew up a stone statue.

He is not alone. I have already had an 'Our Day Will Come' letter shoved through my letterbox for sentiments recently expressed in print. I say let's commemorate as often as we can those brave and often nameless Irishmen who fought proudly in a British uniform (often because their Ireland was too poor to feed them) for the freedom of small nations, including their own; those who served in the merchant marine (for instance) braving the German U-boats during the Second World War, and those airmen, among whom were numbered Irishmen, who fought and died in the Battle of Britain.

Real damage has been done to the people of this country, and our reputations abroad, by conniving with the US administration to permit the use of Shannon Airport for military purposes, not to mention those of our gallant patriotic politicians who wheedled and slipped envelopes into their pockets, or those patriotic businessmen who winked and nodded to ensure they never had to pay a penny tax.

Yours,

Fred Johnston,

Carn Ard,

Circular Road,

Galway

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Comments (5 of 5)

Well Done Fred

by pat c

Wed May 31, 2006 12:04

US Imperialism Bad! British Imperialism Good!

.Is Fred unaware of the fact that British forces are occupying both Iraq and Afghanistan? (Not to mention part of Ireland.) Mother Ireland you are still rearing them.

Victims of Imperialism

by Donnchadh

Thu Jun 01, 2006 03:07

Its possible that some Irishmen were proud to be part of a criminal imperial army who murdered, raped and pillaged their way all around the earth, who took away the freedom of millions and gunned down anyone brave enough to oppose them. Its possibile, but I dont think we are under any obligation to remember these men with any pride. Many Irishmen who joined the British army werent very proud of their actions at all. Many later used the lethal training they recieved to assist in resistance to Imperialism. As for the rest, the poor helpless cannon fodder - we should remember them as victims of British Imperialism.

'Fred Johnston attacks Provos' - letter

by Fred Johnston

Wed Jun 21, 2006 19:09

sylfredcar at iolfree dot ie

087.2178138

Sirs - Never have I seen an article more improperly, or indeed falsely, headed. I don't know who Tom Tom is, but clearly he's the sort of lad who doesn't even bother reading an article before throwing a heading on to it; Galway is full of such. I am not a Provo follower, but my letter is not about that issue, as anyone with a modicum of observational faculties would understand. But perhaps Tom Tom is not interested in the truth. What I am concerned with in the letter is the wiping-out of all memory of how Irishmen fought in the Great War and the Second War and, God knows, many times before either of them, and continue to do so and are no less Irishmen for all that. If this concept, of course, is too much for Tom Tom to envisage, well . . . . .
Fred Johnston.

unbelievable naievety

by Janet

Sat Sep 09, 2006 02:59

I really find this incredible. Does Johnston not know that the British NEVER fought a war for 'the freedom of small nations'. At the time of the 1914-18 war the British continued to oppress small and big nations across the world from Ireland to Kenya to India. Fred Johnston's argument is silly, a kind of pseudo-left unionism.

A good start, but more to be done......

Sat Sep 09, 2006 22:12

Anyway the only problem with those who blew up Nelson's Piller is that they left a lot of other colonial eye sores still standing around the country.

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Fred Johnston attacks Provos

Comments (5 of 5)