Why is the 'Cadet' thread locked?

[AQMP]

Courtesy of @markdevenport

Martin McGuinness describes Belfast mayor's refusal to give army cadet a Duke of Edinburgh certificate "undoubtedly a mistake"

Comments on a postcard from all you Shinners that defended the decision...

Martin promises to be a good boy from now on.

O Donnghaile award action a mistake: Martin McGuinnness

Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness has said Belfast Lord Mayor Niall O Donnghaile's refusal to present an award to a young Army cadet was "undoubtedly a mistake".

He was replying to a question in the assembly from Ulster Unionist leader Tom Elliott.

On Monday night, Mr O Donnghaile apologised to the council for refusing to present the Duke of Edinburgh award to the teenager.

Mr McGuinness, the deputy first minister, welcomed the mayor's apology.

The Sinn Fein deputy leader said Mr O Donnghaile had made a clear commitment that the mistake would not be repeated.

Is it not Niall who is promising to be a good boy?

[orangeman]

Courtesy of @markdevenport

Martin McGuinness describes Belfast mayor's refusal to give army cadet a Duke of Edinburgh certificate "undoubtedly a mistake"

Comments on a postcard from all you Shinners that defended the decision...

Martin promises to be a good boy from now on.

O Donnghaile award action a mistake: Martin McGuinnness

Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness has said Belfast Lord Mayor Niall O Donnghaile's refusal to present an award to a young Army cadet was "undoubtedly a mistake".

He was replying to a question in the assembly from Ulster Unionist leader Tom Elliott.

On Monday night, Mr O Donnghaile apologised to the council for refusing to present the Duke of Edinburgh award to the teenager.

Mr McGuinness, the deputy first minister, welcomed the mayor's apology.

The Sinn Fein deputy leader said Mr O Donnghaile had made a clear commitment that the mistake would not be repeated.

Is it not Niall who is promising to be a good boy?

Doesn't really matter who said it - Martin was prepared to say it on Niall's behalf. Niall got himself into the corner - Martin backed him out of it.

[Minder]

Niall was only following orders from HQ.

[Tonto]

The Unionist are getting their own back

http://www.u.tv/News/Row-over-Irish-language-festive-sign/b288bca8-61e1-40c5-917c-ec9f995f472b

Urgh.  Why would the word 'unionist' have a capital U in that article?

To me a small u is all people of a unionist persuasion, where as capital U is a unionist member of a Unionist party. Hope that explains Tonto

Yes, Ziggy.  Thank-you.

[Myles Na G.]

Hmmm. No doubt His Honour the Mayor, and the Shinners on this Board, deplore the British Army for sponsoring the Combined Cadet Force, seeing as it "militarises" children etc.

Yet while searching for something else on the "CAIN" list of deaths during The Troubles, I chanced upon the following references:

O'Donnell, Dwayne 03 March 1991, (17) Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army (IRA), Killed by: Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
Shot in car park next to Boyle's Bar, Cappagh, County Tyrone.

O'Hare, Gerard 23 September 1971, (17) Catholic
Status: Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA), Killed by: Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA)
Killed in premature bomb explosion at house, Merrion Street, Lower Falls, Belfast.

O'Neill, James 12 February 1976, (17) Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army Youth Section (IRAF), Killed by: Irish Republican Army (IRA)
Died when badly burnt during arson attack on furniture warehouse, Antrim Road, New Lodge, Belfast.

O'Riordan, Sean 23 March 1972, (13) Catholic
Status: Irish Republican Army Youth Section (IRAF), Killed by: British Army (BA)
Shot during petrol bomb attack on British Army (BA) foot patrol, Cawnpore Street, Falls, Belfast.
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/sutton/alpha/O.html

The above four "cadets" were only those whose names begin with the letter "O" and who actually died whilst "on active service" [sic].

Therefore I'd guess that the IRA must have recruited and used hundreds, if not thousands, of youngsters under the age of 18 in various of their operations, including street rioting, information collecting, weapons transporting and lookout duties etc, right up to bombings and attacks.

Which makes the leadership every bit as bad as bloody paedophiles, in my book. 

Then again, we now know that some of them were both... 

"Gerry Adams, the president of Sinn Féin and MP for Belfast West, today revealed that his late father had "emotionally, physically and sexually" abused members of their large family...          ... Since the 1940s, Gerry Adams senior has been a figure venerated in the movement. As a young IRA activist he was shot and wounded by the RUC at the age of 16."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/dec/20/gerry-adams-reveals-abuse-father

Recruiting teenagers is a bit of republican tradition.
     
                The Patriot Game

            Lyrics by Dominic Behan

Come all ye young rebels, and list while I sing,
For the love of one's country is a terrible thing.
It banishes fear with the speed of a flame,
And it makes us all part of the patriot game.

My name is O'Hanlon, and I've just turned sixteen.
My home is in Monaghan, and where I was weaned
I learned all my life cruel England's to blame,
So now I am part of the patriot game.

This Ireland of ours has too long been half free.
Six counties lie under John Bull's tyranny.
But still De Valera is greatly to blame
For shirking his part in the Patriot game.

They told me how Connolly was shot in his chair,
His wounds from the fighting all bloody and bare.
His fine body twisted, all battered and lame
They soon made me part of the patriot game.

It's nearly two years since I wandered away
With the local battalion of the bold IRA,
For I read of our heroes, and wanted the same
To play out my part in the patriot game.

I don't mind a bit if I shoot down police
They are lackeys for war never guardians of peace
And yet at deserters I'm never let aim
The rebels who sold out the patriot game

And now as I lie here, my body all holes
I think of those traitors who bargained in souls
And I wish that my rifle had given the same
To those Quislings who sold out the patriot game.

[ziggysego]

The Unionist are getting their own back

http://www.u.tv/News/Row-over-Irish-language-festive-sign/b288bca8-61e1-40c5-917c-ec9f995f472b

Urgh.  Why would the word 'unionist' have a capital U in that article?

To me a small u is all people of a unionist persuasion, where as capital U is a unionist member of a Unionist party. Hope that explains Tonto

Yes, Ziggy.  Thank-you.

You can take it as I meant it, or use it to think it's a conspiracy against you. Either way, it'll have no impact on my life.

[Maguire01]

Jim McVeigh was on Nolan this morning as well, saying that in the same situation again, a SF rep would present the award. When Nolan questioned him further, he said they wouldn't not attend such an event to avoid being put in that situation.

At least there's some progress out of this incident.

I wonder if Nally and Jude Collins are still as convinced that the Lord Mayor did the right thing... and whether they now consider SF to have abandoned their principles.

[Maguire01]

Doesn't really matter who said it - Martin was prepared to say it on Niall's behalf. Niall got himself into the corner - Martin backed him out of it.

It was reported that the event was delayed for 45 minutes whilst the Mayor sought advise, so it's possibly a bit harsh that the Mayor himself is taking the public flack for what may well have been a direction from HQ.

[Nally Stand]

Jim McVeigh was on Nolan this morning as well, saying that in the same situation again, a SF rep would present the award. When Nolan questioned him further, he said they wouldn't not attend such an event to avoid being put in that situation.

At least there's some progress out of this incident.

I wonder if Nally and Jude Collins are still as convinced that the Lord Mayor did the right thing... and whether they now consider SF to have abandoned their principles.

I never said whether I was convinced either way. I offered a possible explanation for his motivation and said that as far as I am concerned, that would be a fair enough reason. I really couldn't give two shits about this story, as I have said numerous times. As i've previously stated, it's a non-story to everyone but the usual boring sdlp folk and the shameless unionists who dragged the girl into the public debate for their own cynical purposes. If they didn't, would anyone really give a toss about these awards and who made what individual presentations!

[Maguire01]

Jim McVeigh was on Nolan this morning as well, saying that in the same situation again, a SF rep would present the award. When Nolan questioned him further, he said they wouldn't not attend such an event to avoid being put in that situation.

At least there's some progress out of this incident.

I wonder if Nally and Jude Collins are still as convinced that the Lord Mayor did the right thing... and whether they now consider SF to have abandoned their principles.

I never said whether I was convinced either way. I offered a possible explanation for his motivation and said that as far as I am concerned, that would be a fair enough reason. I really couldn't give two shits about this story, as I have said numerous times. As i've previously stated, it's a non-story to everyone but the usual boring sdlp folk and the shameless unionists who dragged the girl into the public debate for their own cynical purposes. If they didn't, would anyone really give a toss about these awards and who made what individual presentations!

You seemed convinced it was a compromise, rather than a mistake. And i'm not sure why you posted the Jude Collins piece without comment or qualification if you didn't agree with it.

As for saying it's a non-story to everyone but the 'boring sdlp folk' and 'shameless unionists', what you're actually saying is that it was a story for pretty much everyone other than Sinn Féin - and that's understandable.

But to be fair, they've dealt with it reasonably well, after a slow start, and if the unionist Councillors persist on this one, they'll be the ones looking stupid. I think even last night's meeting was unnecessary, given that the apology was made before last week's meeting.

[Minder]

As Mairtin O Muilleoir said, nobody in Sinn Fein would be putting that episode on their CV.

[Maguire01]

Have to say as well, listening to Nolan this morning, he had a DUP Councillor on to counter McVeigh, I think he was called Reynolds - one of the most inept media performances i've heard in a while. He had no answers for Nolan's challenge that the DUP aren't exactly implementing Robinson's strategy to end the 'us and them' mentality. His responses (or lack thereof) when challenged on the Irish languauge Christmas signs issue were pretty pathetic.

[trileacman]

SF have apologised and explained the same would not happen again, case closed here. In the end they done the right thing.

[MW]

Have to say as well, listening to Nolan this morning, he had a DUP Councillor on to counter McVeigh, I think he was called Reynolds - one of the most inept media performances i've heard in a while. He had no answers for Nolan's challenge that the DUP aren't exactly implementing Robinson's strategy to end the 'us and them' mentality. His responses (or lack thereof) when challenged on the Irish languauge Christmas signs issue were pretty pathetic.

Lee Reynolds. Remember the "stalking colt" who (perhaps fatally) damaged Jim Molyneaux's UUP leadership back in 1995?

[armaghniac]

Well it is not as if the British Army are trying to entice young people into violence, is it?