It Must be Marching Season

[theskull1]

Dogs piss at bottom of lamp posts and loyalists at the other end. Both desperate to mark out territory and fend off "the enemy". Some nationalist areas ape them but I think there's changes in that behaviour more and more. Encouraging to see less and less flegs on houses. I think only the hardliners are clinging onto their view of the world. A lot of people are moving away I believe

[Eamonnca1]

myles, not sure what point your above post is to signify, but I think most of us know what contentious is...

it was asked earlier in response to I believe that you think that all/most republican parades are contentious - can you name where some of these might be?

Certainly we know that a lot if not a hell of a lot of loyalist/unionist parades are cntentious passing by or through obvious nationalist areas/streets etc - but I'd never heard of republican (or AOH) parades doing likewise...

Eamonn obviously doesn't, which why I posted the above. A 'contentious' parade doesn't have to 'pass through' an area in order to annoy. The republican protest I highlighted above was about a British Army homecoming parade through Belfast city centre, which doesn't belong to either side. Sometimes a parade through a so called shared space can be offensive for precisely that reason. I agree that many of the loyal order parades are contentious / offensive. My point is that the likes of Gerry Kelly can't call the loyal orders to account on the one hand, yet at the same time support an equally contentious parade just because it happens to be a republican commemoration. That's double standards and poor leadership. The fact that there are fewer such republican parades doesn't alter that fact. Coat trailing parades are either wrong or they're not.

Jesus wept!   

I give up.

[qubdub]

To be fair to many Unionists like Myles, anything remotely Republican will be offensive, because in their eyes only Republicans did wrong.

Republicans were the sole aggressors and the State was innocent of all wrong-doing (Such wrong doing could include British soldiers shooting men, women and children, UDR soldiers colluding with/being members of paramilitaries, RUC collusion, harassment etc etc).

So no matter where they are, Republican marches will automatically be contentious by the mere fact that they are Republican.

[red hander]

To be fair to many Unionists like Myles, anything remotely Republican will be offensive, because in their eyes only Republicans did wrong.

Republicans were the sole aggressors and the State was innocent of all wrong-doing (Such wrong doing could include British soldiers shooting men, women and children, UDR soldiers colluding with/being members of paramilitaries, RUC collusion, harassment etc etc).

So no matter where they are, Republican marches will automatically be contentious by the mere fact that they are Republican.

Myles Na Gobshite a unionist? How very dare you!!! He has always described himself as a nationalist 

[Eamonnca1]

I mean, how do you reason with someone who resorts to that kind of sophistry to change the meaning of commonly-used words and phrases?  We all know that a "contentious parade" in this context always, always, always refers to a parade being forced through an area where it's not welcome. And yet here he is trying to equate that to a republican parade that's going nowhere near a loyalist area.

Where does he get off?

[Rossfan]

I see that so called "Christian" Minister and Orange leader the REV Gibson  on the Nordie News this evening more or less praising Paramilitaries for being peaceful at their parade on Saturday.
Can you imagine the fury and furore if a Catholic Priest praised Dissident IRAs for something 

[glens abu]

I see that so called "Christian" Minister and Orange leader the REV Gibson  on the Nordie News this evening more or less praising Paramilitaries for being peaceful at their parade on Saturday.
Can you imagine the fury and furore if a Catholic Priest praised Dissident IRAs for something 

Not only that admitting that the UVF were there,can you imagine if the shoe was on the other foot and Nationalists were having a protest and it was said that the IRA was there.All hell would break loose ans SF expelled from Assembley.

[Jeepers Creepers]

Gibson a Former branch man, says a lot about his views on law and 'order'

[Farrandeelin]

I see that so called "Christian" Minister and Orange leader the REV Gibson  on the Nordie News this evening more or less praising Paramilitaries for being peaceful at their parade on Saturday.
Can you imagine the fury and furore if a Catholic Priest praised Dissident IRAs for something 

Not only that admitting that the UVF were there,can you imagine if the shoe was on the other foot and Nationalists were having a protest and it was said that the IRA was there.All hell would break loose ans SF expelled from Assembley.

And the establishment down here would be outraged too. RTÉ would have a damning Prime Time programme investigates on it I'm sure!

[imtommygunn]

Application in for a parade on saturday

[red hander]

Gibson a Former branch man, says a lot about his views on law and 'order'

Jaysus, they must have let any tube into the RUC if that's the standard that reached detective level ... Columbo had nothing to worry about

[Myles Na G.]

I mean, how do you reason with someone who resorts to that kind of sophistry to change the meaning of commonly-used words and phrases?  We all know that a "contentious parade" in this context always, always, always refers to a parade being forced through an area where it's not welcome. And yet here he is trying to equate that to a republican parade that's going nowhere near a loyalist area.

Where does he get off?

Unless it's the British Army parade going through Belfast city centre, of course. But apart from that, always,always, always...

[armaghniac]

Jaysus, they must have let any tube into the RUC if that's the standard that reached detective level ... Columbo had nothing to worry abou

t

He seems to have the same respect for the principles of his present employers, e.g. love thy neighbour, as he had for law and order.

[Eamonnca1]

I mean, how do you reason with someone who resorts to that kind of sophistry to change the meaning of commonly-used words and phrases?  We all know that a "contentious parade" in this context always, always, always refers to a parade being forced through an area where it's not welcome. And yet here he is trying to equate that to a republican parade that's going nowhere near a loyalist area.

Where does he get off?

Unless it's the British Army parade going through Belfast city centre, of course. But apart from that, always,always, always...

Yeah. Those people living in City Hall and that well known hard core republican residential street Royal Avenue are such bigots, aren't they?

[Myles Na G.]

I mean, how do you reason with someone who resorts to that kind of sophistry to change the meaning of commonly-used words and phrases?  We all know that a "contentious parade" in this context always, always, always refers to a parade being forced through an area where it's not welcome. And yet here he is trying to equate that to a republican parade that's going nowhere near a loyalist area.

Where does he get off?

Unless it's the British Army parade going through Belfast city centre, of course. But apart from that, always,always, always...

Yeah. Those people living in City Hall and that well known hard core republican residential street Royal Avenue are such bigots, aren't they?

I think you're making my points for me now, though it's hard to be sure as that last post of yours looks like it could well have been alcohol-assisted. 
You said that 'contentious parades' always, always, always have to be about a march being forced through an area it's not welcome. I've given one example, the British Army parade through Belfast city centre, which sparked a major protest even though it was passing through a shared space.  Sort of blows a hole in your argument, don't you think?