Parading Around: Flying In The Face Of Tradition
2007 will mark the 200th anniversary of Portadown District Orange Lodge’s annual commemoration of the Battle of the Somme. As the BBC website points out:
it has only been over the past eight years that the Orangemen’s annual Battle of the Somme commemoration service has been making headlines in newspapers and on television screens around the world.
The marches themselves have become essentially a celebration of Unionism/Loyalism across Northern Ireland, and this naturally causes friction with members of the Nationalist community, particularly at flashpoint areas. Having witnessed some of these scenes head-on, several things are obvious to me:
- Many marches are planned for rigidly traditional routes. The problem is, many of these routes now intersect with Nationalist areas which sprang up since the 1960’s.
- The behaviour of the marchers when passing through Nationalist areas is unnecessarily aggressive.
- Nationalist communities are far too sensitive about the issue, and are usually hyped up by their ‘community representatives’ to defend their areas.
- Both see marches (or the constraining and rerouting of marches) as infringements of their civil liberties.
I love the term ‘Civil Liberties’. When we use civil liberties in Northern Ireland, they only apply to us and not the other community involved. The fact is, both sides have built a mountain out of a molehill. What difference is it to walk a different route to church? I never go to the shop in the Main Street the same way twice! Traditional routes are one thing, but if you’re causing so much upset to an entire community, why not take it a different route? To insist on following the same path shows a complete lack of respect for the other community - something we need to change if Northern Ireland is to progress.
And the Nationalists. Have you ever heard of MOPE Syndrome? Most Oppressed People on Earth is what it stands for. This is what happens when Sinn Fein arrive in an area - they dredge up a wall of resentment and a small issue that would pass most people by becomes a devastating infringement of Human Rights. Every time I see Garvaghy Residents Association representative Brendan MacCionnaith (McKenna to you and me), I wonder what his dubious qualifications are. Google him and see what you find out!
Seriously, though, how long would it take a parade to pass from one end of a street to another? I’d estimate between 10 minutes and half-an-hour. With the proper policing and everyone involved taking a calm and respectful attitude, the whole thing could pass off peacefully.
So, what else?
As I said at the start, it’s only been recent history where this has been an issue. When I was a child, my parents would take us into town to see the parades, and it didn’t matter who was parading, the whole town turned out. In fact, she often recounts that the Ancient Order of Hibernians, of whom my grandfather was a member, would often share equipment with the Apprentice Boys or whoever. There was a much deeper respect for each other’s traditions then, obviously.
These days, intolerance rules. Give ‘them’ an inch and they’ll take a mile. We must protest, in the fact of the enemy, to the media, to anyone who’ll listen. There’s too much to lose by backing down.
My Tuppence Worth
Me? I don’t care who’s parading, I can’t stand the sound of accordians and military drums. The songs mean absolutely nothing to me. I was born in the past, but I sure as hell don’t live in it!
I want to see my kids grow up free of bigorty and hatred. Why don’t the peace-loving people of Northern Ireland club together and start having peace parades? We could get whole communities together to organise and hold the parades. Bring in the Catholics. Bring in the Protestants. Bring in our new neighbours in the multi-ethnic areas of the Province.
Let’s build symbols of togetherness that we can all identify with. Get rid of that tired old divisive imagery. Murals of happy children playing together, integrated environments, respect for colour and creed.
Let’s lift those oppressed areas once and for all. Let them throw off the hopeless tribal politics and realise that there’s a bright future for those who can forgive and forget and move on.
Let’s put dates in our calendars that mean something to all communities. Where is Going Forward Together Day? Peace Day? Forgiveness Day? What about parades, with modern music where the peace-loving people of Northern Ireland can stand, shoulder to shoulder at least one day a year, every year, until it becomes our tradition.
And our children’s tradition. And maybe even their children’s tradition.
And maybe one day people will wonder why we didn’t see sense sooner. . .
