Well said, Alan! Lana Cathcart, Toronto ON, Canada Born in New Waterford, Cape Breton Island, NS, Canada (Cathcart ancestor in Cape Breton by 1799, PROBABLY from NI) Alan Keys <keysa(a)tiscali.co.uk&gt; wrote: Bill I really do not know where to start, having watched the debate rage for a few days, but it seems that either by accident or design you have stirred up a debate which at times is interesting and informed but at other times borders on the insane. Your earlier comment on all irish being catholic as a fact was bound to raise the hackles.. your more recent comment about St Patrick driving the British out of Boston made me laugh. Therefore let me explain. 1st paragraph. Your experiences of Boston - no problem here, your recollection of your past. 2nd paragraph. Bloody Sunday - always a contentious issue and there are a thousand different versions of events that day and I could spend ages picking holes in your statement. Suffice to say no-one is entirely blameless and the BS inquiry report is being compiled as we speak so lets just leave it at that. (anyway- not relevant to this site) 3rd paragraph. The media - well no news is good news and the media will always simplify things for their audience. I will say no more on this as it is not relevant to a genealogy site. As for the bridge at Newtownbutler, I am not sure which one you refer to, but I would doubt very much that the Prime Minister was bothered with such minor details - if the army decided that the bridge was best closed for security reasons then it was either blown up or blocked. (Incidentally the IRA blew up a few bridges in the area too) 4th paragraph Well you started off fine - its complicated even for the residents of Northern Ireland. However the last part of this paragraph confused me greatly - is this your speculation or did your cousin actually tell you that she was not treated because she was the wrong religion?.(we do not even know if she lived in Northern or Southern Ireland!) Sadly the truth is that the health care system in both jurisdictions is slow and leaves a lot to be desired (unless you are fortunate to be able to go private), and this is more likely to be the real story than any discrimination. Unfortunately what starts out as an opinion or speculation quickly becomes fact after being repeated a few times.... and so the reasons for bigotry and intolerance keep growing. I certainly do not think this site is the place to speculate on such matters - its enough for most people to know where they can read about such incidents or find conclusive reports. In conclusion, everyone here should remember that we cannot judge the actions of those in the past by our standards today. By all means we can tell stories that help to set the lives of our ancestors in context, but we should always be mindful that there is often more than one version of the "truth" and you should be sure of your facts before sticking your head above the parapet. A genealogy site works best when people come forward with hard facts, for speculation or opinion presented as fact often leads us down the wrong paths. Hope I haven't bored you all Alan Keys -----Original Message----- From: Roland & Rosemary Golden [mailto:margold56@hotmail.com] Sent: 30 January 2006 23:32 To: FERMANAGH-GOLD-L(a)rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [FER-GOLD] Religion and nationality Cliff, If you asked people in Boston why we celebrate "The 17th of March", in truth most couldn't tell you. The Festivities are run by the United Veterans Council of South Boston who are busy marginalizing Gays and Lesbians, and getting them banned from the Parade. It is supposed to commemerate the evacuation of Boston by the the British and loyalist troops. I don't know when they started to include St Pat in the festivities, but I'd go each year with my father's sister and we would stand near where she and her family grew up on 5th Street in Southie. She'd buy me a green flag with a gold harp and I'd wave it, but I'd be dammed if I knew why. My aunt would look at the old three decker and cry. Afterwards we walk doen to the Fourth Presbyterian Church on Broadway to meet the minister and have a cup of tea. I( didn't pay much attention to the IRA and Irish History until Bloody Sunday, 1972. I was in the Army about to start serving at SHAPE, My seretery was Welsh. Her husband was a British Major, and who's son was the first Brit I saw sent to NI. Most pictures I saw showed the British were looking for blood. Pictures I saw in the International Tribune, London Times, and other Papers clearly showed an "L SHAPED AMBUSH" A Bn of the Para's held the line, there was a "NO GO LINE" perhaps 50 yds before the troop entrenchment, and a kill zone between the NO GOI LINE and the final stand. Sharp shooters were stationed in third story windows, Their goal was to kill. If one line of marchers approached and crossed the line then ALL the marchers were going to get lit up and blown away! And so it happened. In America a handful of Catholic protesters were seen to fall in that shooting while holding hands and marching to "WE SHALL OVERCOME".Funds certainly increased into the coffers of NORAID, part of the funding went for NORAID, half to the IRA. The hostilities increased when a "NEW" face of Loyalism, Ian Paisley, appeared on the screeen and gave this reason to the world, That Northern Ireland was a Protestant Country and would always be one. Peace Talking while Paisley was running his mouth with his bigoted mash was Impossible. I was once asked after the Ira had blown some Protestant shooter away, Why Ian Paisley and his son got away with some of the tripe they were selling. Hell, said I, the Ira knows that Paisley is the best money maker they have. I was always surprised that the Brits didn't blow him away. It was dame Thatcher's successor who sidelined Paisley and then the Peace talks could get started. What was interesting about good old Ian was that if you voted in his district he would do anything for you regardless of your religion. Thatcher was a bigot if I ever read about one. She ordered that the bridge from NewtownButler to Cavan City be blown, it was and my wife's cousin took twice as long to get to work. It is far too complicated for me to understand. Violence, not matter what its roots, is the ultimate statement of the failure of the human heart and spirit. My wife's cousin died of Breast Cancer. She received no medical treatment until almost 18 months had passed after the discover of the tumor in her breast. My Wife's cousin and also a friend of o7urs received radical surgical intervention within a wek of the discovery of the breast tumor. I wonder why our Irish cousin got short changed? Was she murdered vy neglect becauseshe was not of the majority.That type of question is good to explore in Genealogical research! Bill Golden, Green Harbor ==== FERMANAGH-GOLD Mailing List ==== To unsubscribe send mail to FERMANAGH-GOLD-L-request(a)rootsweb.com with the single word unsubscribe in the body of your mail. (D for Digest). Mail List Help Page http://www.fermanagh.org.uk/listhelp.htm ********************************************************************** Cassidy Clan Web Site http://www.cassidyclan.org ==== FERMANAGH-GOLD Mailing List ==== To unsubscribe send mail to FERMANAGH-GOLD-L-request(a)rootsweb.com with the single word unsubscribe in the body of your mail. (D for Digest). 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