During my middle school years ('96-'97), we were treated daily after lunch to 11 minutes of non-school in the form of Channel 1, a national youth news network. Every classroom had a tv in it that would provide a little window into the larger world. I specifically remember seeing images of urban guerrilla warfare in Northern Ireland and--to make it more relevant to us kids--they profiled a teen couple who were the Romeo and Juliet of their part of the world (he a Catholic, she a Protestant). The programs that Channel 1 presented were entertaining and informative, but ultimately easily compartmentalized into non-relevant stories. After the tv was turned off, it was back to Mrs. Barrett's social studies class.
Yes, we'd seen issues from around the globe, but most of us went on with our "cream puff" lives. We had the talent show at the end of the year, then I was in a musical at Canby that summer, competing in the county fair kitchen, and then we had high school to look forward to! At the end of freshman year, I went with my family and the youth symphony to Great Britain. Though I'd traveled a bit before, I adored England partially because of the sheep that my brother and I chased, but especially because--being part Scottish and English--I connected culturally with the country. Their victories were my victories, and I idolized their resplendency; I wore a Union Jack flag on my backpack the following two years.
Visiting Ireland and learning about the controversial way (to put it mildly) the British government treated the native Irish for centuries has certainly challenged my idolatry. This was especially true during my visit to Londonderry (Derry if you're pro-one Ireland, Londonderry if you're in favor of British rule. I'm gonna go with Derry for brevity.). Like Belfast, it experienced major rioting from the 1960s to the 1990s, but whereas the Protestants were in majority in Belfast, Catholics were the majority in Derry. This made anti-catholic discrimination even more unjust. One only had a vote if they owned a house, but the Protestant-run local government gerrymandered by only built houses in Protestant areas, thus ensuring their continued rule.
In 1972, the a protest march was held (mostly by Catholics) against the British army's recent adoption of internment without trial. Things escalated, and 13 Catholics were left dead. I took a walking tour of the location with a many, John McKinney, whose brother marched in the protest. His brother, William, was videotaping the event and when gunshot started, William dropped the camera and ran. William was among the 13 who died, a bullet in his back.
When I started on my tour with John, I wasn't aware that he had such a connection to the era. When he mentioned that his brother had been among the dead, I imagined the decades of sorrow and bitterness John must have felt. He did say that his family felt immense relief when David Cameron apologized for the massacre (coinciding with the second inquiry, which cleared the names of the 13), but in the seven years since then the government hasn't prosecuted the soldiers. That pronouncement provided temporary relief, but the inaction has begun to sour impressions.
The woman who runs the B&B where I stayed, Stella Kuzack, had been a young first aid attendant during the protest. She noted that things were going smoothly until suddenly they got an influx of wounded (imagine a time without cell phones!). She remembered a doctor operating on a wounded man's leg without anesthesia, and when the man cried out, the doctor told him to man up for the cause. Later, Stella would be regularly frisked by British soldiers, and when she called them pigs for cat-calling at her and her miniskirt, her family's house underwent frequent raids. She saw the influence the conflict had on her younger twin sisters (who'd gotten their hands on black berets and marched around like girl scout IRA members.... their mother wasn't too happy) and when Stella had a family of her own, she wanted to maintain some distance to ensure her children's innocent upbringing. They moved to the outskirts of town.
That's not to say that everyday life ceased. Stella still went to school (had to walk around British armored tanks) and went to the (Catholic) dance hall. She got a job as a seamstress at a (Protestant) department store because her (Polish) name didn't sound Catholic. In many ways, our teen years were similar, but the constant stress must've taken a toll on developing youngsters and they experienced loss like I never have. Stella's brother-in-law's brother, a member of the IRA, was killed, and she says that even today the IRA functions as a neighborhood watchdog, or benevolent mob.
When I asked her how long it will take for things to resolve, she responded, "Now tat one I'll tell yeh teh answer to after September." Her god-daughter/niece is marrying..... an English policeman, who is the very figure of British government authority. This is a Romeo and Juliet story again, and will be especially telling considering the girl's family's IRA past. Stella said, "I'll at least offer him a handshake and see what's he's like. I'll given him tat. But me bro'her now, I tink he won't say one word. And can yeh blame him?"
The youth, though, seem to be putting issues of the past behind them. I chatted with a ticketing cashier (age ~22) at the Tower Museum following my walk through the venue. I remarked that the video at the end regarding the Troubles, as well as the exhibits, seemed to be fairly balanced from either side. (This in comparison to my talk with John McKinney who was especially one-sided). "Oh yeh, we get that a lot from Canadian and American tourists." "So what do Irish think of it?" "We get people from both sides of the issue in here, and they appreciate that their sides are represented. ...I think this place gives the opportunity for them to hear the other side in a non-confrontational way."She added, "It's mostly the older generation that have problems anyway. The younger kids don't care about religion one way or the other." The history is being passed down, but hopefully not the hatred. Ideally this ensures the innocence of the youth, but not naiveté.
Visiting Dublin, Belfast, and Derry changed my opinion of Britain. don't get me wrong: I still love a lot about the UK, but I have a more thorough evaluation of the government's past and present actions. This realization felt like when you first recognize the fallibility of your parents: you get deeper understanding with a side of disappointment. I remember asking my mom once, regarding a war, "So who were the good guys?"Her response: "It depends on which side you ask." And when I asked "So the current IRA isn't negative anymore?" Stella responded, "Well, they were never bad, they just did bad things occasionally." It sounds a little contrived, but is a good illustration of the complexity and duality of our motivations and actions.
Yes, we'd seen issues from around the globe, but most of us went on with our "cream puff" lives. We had the talent show at the end of the year, then I was in a musical at Canby that summer, competing in the county fair kitchen, and then we had high school to look forward to! At the end of freshman year, I went with my family and the youth symphony to Great Britain. Though I'd traveled a bit before, I adored England partially because of the sheep that my brother and I chased, but especially because--being part Scottish and English--I connected culturally with the country. Their victories were my victories, and I idolized their resplendency; I wore a Union Jack flag on my backpack the following two years.
Visiting Ireland and learning about the controversial way (to put it mildly) the British government treated the native Irish for centuries has certainly challenged my idolatry. This was especially true during my visit to Londonderry (Derry if you're pro-one Ireland, Londonderry if you're in favor of British rule. I'm gonna go with Derry for brevity.). Like Belfast, it experienced major rioting from the 1960s to the 1990s, but whereas the Protestants were in majority in Belfast, Catholics were the majority in Derry. This made anti-catholic discrimination even more unjust. One only had a vote if they owned a house, but the Protestant-run local government gerrymandered by only built houses in Protestant areas, thus ensuring their continued rule.
In 1972, the a protest march was held (mostly by Catholics) against the British army's recent adoption of internment without trial. Things escalated, and 13 Catholics were left dead. I took a walking tour of the location with a many, John McKinney, whose brother marched in the protest. His brother, William, was videotaping the event and when gunshot started, William dropped the camera and ran. William was among the 13 who died, a bullet in his back.
When I started on my tour with John, I wasn't aware that he had such a connection to the era. When he mentioned that his brother had been among the dead, I imagined the decades of sorrow and bitterness John must have felt. He did say that his family felt immense relief when David Cameron apologized for the massacre (coinciding with the second inquiry, which cleared the names of the 13), but in the seven years since then the government hasn't prosecuted the soldiers. That pronouncement provided temporary relief, but the inaction has begun to sour impressions.
 |
| View from atop city walls--where a British Army post once was--over (Catholic) Bogside, the site of Bloody Sunday. It's tough to see in this picture, but there are several large murals, not surprisingly facing the surveying army. |
That's not to say that everyday life ceased. Stella still went to school (had to walk around British armored tanks) and went to the (Catholic) dance hall. She got a job as a seamstress at a (Protestant) department store because her (Polish) name didn't sound Catholic. In many ways, our teen years were similar, but the constant stress must've taken a toll on developing youngsters and they experienced loss like I never have. Stella's brother-in-law's brother, a member of the IRA, was killed, and she says that even today the IRA functions as a neighborhood watchdog, or benevolent mob.
When I asked her how long it will take for things to resolve, she responded, "Now tat one I'll tell yeh teh answer to after September." Her god-daughter/niece is marrying..... an English policeman, who is the very figure of British government authority. This is a Romeo and Juliet story again, and will be especially telling considering the girl's family's IRA past. Stella said, "I'll at least offer him a handshake and see what's he's like. I'll given him tat. But me bro'her now, I tink he won't say one word. And can yeh blame him?"
The youth, though, seem to be putting issues of the past behind them. I chatted with a ticketing cashier (age ~22) at the Tower Museum following my walk through the venue. I remarked that the video at the end regarding the Troubles, as well as the exhibits, seemed to be fairly balanced from either side. (This in comparison to my talk with John McKinney who was especially one-sided). "Oh yeh, we get that a lot from Canadian and American tourists." "So what do Irish think of it?" "We get people from both sides of the issue in here, and they appreciate that their sides are represented. ...I think this place gives the opportunity for them to hear the other side in a non-confrontational way."She added, "It's mostly the older generation that have problems anyway. The younger kids don't care about religion one way or the other." The history is being passed down, but hopefully not the hatred. Ideally this ensures the innocence of the youth, but not naiveté.
Visiting Dublin, Belfast, and Derry changed my opinion of Britain. don't get me wrong: I still love a lot about the UK, but I have a more thorough evaluation of the government's past and present actions. This realization felt like when you first recognize the fallibility of your parents: you get deeper understanding with a side of disappointment. I remember asking my mom once, regarding a war, "So who were the good guys?"Her response: "It depends on which side you ask." And when I asked "So the current IRA isn't negative anymore?" Stella responded, "Well, they were never bad, they just did bad things occasionally." It sounds a little contrived, but is a good illustration of the complexity and duality of our motivations and actions.
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