US actor (Sheen) 'pardons' Irish war protesters

IRNA ^ | May 24 2003

[slainbyanelf]

I'd just like to make a general reply . . . first off, someone said that they knew all about Irish history because they knew someone from Belfast . . . Ireland supported the Nazis during WWII? Are you serious? Ireland was neutral during the Second World War (a look at any history book, or any official records will tell you this.) Also, huge numbers of Irish citizens fought in the British army. True, there was a tiny Fascist group under a guy named O Duffy, but that's nothing new; every country under the sun has had some odious Fascist group or other at some time. To say that Ireland supported Hitler is scandalous. True, there has long been anti-British sentiment in much of Ireland (Ireland was subject to terrible deprivations and inhumane treatment from Britian for 800 years, remember - when it eventually won its freedom, a huge chunk of the country was kept by the British - Northern Ireland - and said counties have been fought over ever since. Remember, Ireland only won its - partial, and at great cost - independence from Britian 80-odd years ago.) Anyway, to return to the whole 'Nazi sympathy' thing - I'd just like to say that I feel it was a wilful and irresponsible remark. Oh, and just in case it makes my argument somehow irrefutable, I'm Irish, by the way. (And not Northern Irish - as someone from Belfast would be; Northern Ireland is British, remember.)

Also, in a related matter, I'd like to add an important fact to the Martin Sheen story ---- Ireland is STILL neutral, and officially has no part to play in the wars against Iraq and Afghanistan. The biggest protests the country has ever seen took place in opposition to those wars. However, Irish leader Bertie Ahern still saw fit to allow American planes to use Shannon airport. There was much outrage when this became public, and yet Bertie Ahern still went ahead with it. All calls to have a public discourse (or, heaven forbid, a public vote) on this matter have been rubbished. So, if a country is neutral and values its neutrality, why should its citizens not be allowed to vent their anger at a wholly undemocratic process perpetrated by one man which completely subverts this neutrality?

If anyone has any comments on anf of the above, I'd really like to read them. Thank you for reading.

Trev