SDLP and Sinn Fein endorse gay marriage.

[T Fearon]

The not inconsiderable section of the Northern Nationalist Catholic population who wouldn't consider voting Sinn Fein under any circumstance (the reason Tom Elliott is MP for Fermanagh S Tyrone) are represented by the SDLP,as are Unionists in overwhelmingly nationalist constituencies who vote SDLP solely to keep Sinn Fein out

[Maguire01]

I see the SDLP are saying they'll lose a third of their Assembly seats in the next Election.

Maybe a more vocal stance on some of the criminality that nationalist/repbublican areas are being subjected to might bring success. And a determination to work with statutory agencies to break these gangs.

Maybe the SDLP should just exit the stage now. Since Hume left they've been a failure. They offer nothing.

Well unless there's a better alternative, an SDLP exit would just increase the unionist majority at Stormont.

[smelmoth]

I see the SDLP are saying they'll lose a third of their Assembly seats in the next Election.

Maybe a more vocal stance on some of the criminality that nationalist/repbublican areas are being subjected to might bring success. And a determination to work with statutory agencies to break these gangs.

Maybe the SDLP should just exit the stage now. Since Hume left they've been a failure. They offer nothing.

You only have to look at yesterday's events to see the shocking audacity of the criminal element in South Armagh. The shinners have all the integrity of absentee landlords in tackling this issue. There is an opportunity for others and the SDLP under eastwood would be best placed

[Rossfan]

It's probably a stupid question and I suspect I know the answer already -
Why are the Sinn Painers so reticent to condemn or try to stop the criminality in South Armagh?

[foxcommander]

It's probably a stupid question and I suspect I know the answer already -
Why are the Sinn Painers so reticent to condemn or try to stop the criminality in South Armagh?

This eejit should be told the PSNI are responsible for policing in the O6.

Stop press: Sinn Fein have condemned the 14 year old caught stealing a mars bar in a shop in Cookstown. I stand corrected.

[T Fearon]

I read recently that Gerry himself on a visit to S Armagh told the locals to tone down criminal activity and was told in no uncertain terms to "F..k Off!"

[smelmoth]

It's probably a stupid question and I suspect I know the answer already -
Why are the Sinn Painers so reticent to condemn or try to stop the criminality in South Armagh?

Its not a stupid question. In fact its a question that should be asked on SF members at the beginning of every TV interview

[smelmoth]

I read recently that Gerry himself on a visit to S Armagh told the locals to tone down criminal activity and was told in no uncertain terms to "F..k Off!"

Who exactly was he talking to?

[Maguire01]

I read recently that Gerry himself on a visit to S Armagh told the locals to tone down criminal activity and was told in no uncertain terms to "F..k Off!"

"tone down" 

[Applesisapples]

Marriage is naturally between members of the opposite sex,that is the natural order,it is very obvious,that's why God created separate genders.Any other scenario is unnatural,without any religious perspective

This is a piss poor argument. Only a homophobe in need of a cloak for their bias could buy that argument. It doesn't take much intelligence to realise that sexual attraction is more common place between genders than within a single gender but that does not make single-gender attraction "unnatural". They will also be able to point to evidence of homosexual acts nd homosexuality in other species within nature. Marriage will be more common between genders for teh same reason and historic numbers will be skewed by the historic legal frameworks. Marriage being more common between a man and a woman than between say 2 women because 2 women are not allowed to get married could not be used to statisiclly support an argument that same sex marriage is unnatural.

Linking marriage and nature is a bit weird in any event

Hetero marriage is more popular but gay attraction is just as natural, innit.
the sad thing about gay history is how little of it there is.

Well that's another point.

Homosexuality was a crime until not so long ago. If people were so concerned about equal gay rights, why didn't our forefathers demand it, take to the streets? They didn't because it was frowned upon, called allsorts, gays alienated, attacked, abused etc. People were told by media, governments, church, schools etc that it was a sin, immortal or whatever.

Nowadays people are told the opposite. People are told that this is good and this is bad, and you'll agree with us.

So, are you a better person than your forefathers, because you support gay marriage? Are you a more liberal, free-thinking citizen? Was, then, our forefathers bigoted, homophobic or anti-gay because they weren't as accepting of what was perceived as a sin in their era?

Christ the night. In the middle ages the lord of the manner had the right to take a newly wed wife of his tenants to bed, that doesn't mean it was right. Jews have been persecuted through out history and not just by Nazis. Times change as should society, just because one section of society was stigmatised in the past doesn't make continuing it right.