Three weeks dead and not a day of it in peace. For Bobby Storey, his name continues to bobble at the top of the daily news feed, courtesy of the fall out from the manner in which Sinn Fein managed his funeral. Some not happy that he has already been cremated seem to want him burned all over again, this time in their make believe Hell, as the symbolism of their bright orange 11th night bonfires has so searingly reminded us. Regrettably, there are still those who find hate a comfort zone.
Sinn Fein's critics have been circling the prey while the party rather than head this one off at the pass has instead circled the wagons. Michelle O’Neill continues to insist she acted responsibly in the manner she observed social distancing guidelines at the funeral of Bobby Storey when seemingly more than just the usual detractors see her as having failed, albeit to varying degrees.
Believing her to have been at fault does not translate directly to a demand for her resignation. Despite the posturing and faux outrage, it suits neither Sinn Fein nor the DUP to see the executive brought down again. Citizenry, North and South, would probably settle for a mild rebuke were some sort of, even mumbled, acknowledgement of a breach on O'Neill's part forthcoming. They are more likely to echo the thought of Taoiseach Micheal Martin that it is important not to be "overly judgmental" than to seek the Free P moonshine of sackcloth and ashes. The party that burned enough ash to fill a motorway of cloth sacks lacks the moral authority to credibly make that call.
For O'Neill, it would be a political apology rather than a personal one as she probably feels her personal errancy was at the milder end of the scale. Politically is where her transgression lies, and which makes her an easy target for lampers eager to emblazon her as someone making the rules for others to observe while failing to observe the rules she makes. As Sam McBride concisely put it:
There is no reason to disagree with O'Neill's insistence that she did not mean to give offence by attending the funeral. However, her dogged determination to insist that there was no fault, is itself coming to be appear as the bigger fault, ultimately causing even greater offence. Nor is it those who rise before dawn every morning to ensure they catch the first offence of the day ahead of everybody else, who are genuinely offended. A lot of people have been unable to attend funerals of ones held dear because of the type of restrictions Michelle O'Neill has rightly insisted on being observed during the global pandemic.
Belfast City Council's seemingly inexplicable decision to deny eight grieving families the ability to attend the the cremation of their loved ones has not helped Sinn Fein, even if if the party did nothing to sway the council's decision. When a daughter claims 'Mummy had to be cremated alone ... we were told this was the rule', it is not hard to imagine the sense of public concern and sympathy generated. Ironically, there is no need to buy into the misty-eyed drivel of Bobby Storey the "gentle giant" to appreciate that it was not in the Storey character to hog "special treatment" in these type of matters, particularly when it had such a huge impact on other grieving families. But these are the things that tend to get lost in the heat of the moment.
Sinn Fein is feeling the heat, so much so that Sam McBride who was widely praised for his determined work on the Cash For Ash scandal has suddenly been turned into a villain by the Bot Brigade, ever eager to engage the enemy in the pretence that name calling and bullying is somehow active service. His crime was to do exactly what he did when RHI wanted its own funeral pyre to be quickly extinguished: he persisted in asking the burning question.
In a place that is home to unlimited exaggeration and the worst crisis ever the DUP''s Christopher Stalford must have spent a month choking the chicken to have pulled off what can only be described as wanker's wisdom. In a fine example of wish being father to the thought he claims Sinn Fein is behaving in a “fashion that would shame the Trump administration". While it is a given that Sinn Fein has been encouraged since the days of Gerry Adams to have an aversion to truth, and also useful to learn that Stalford believes the Trump cabal has behaved in a manner that is indeed shameful, there is no one, Sinn Fein, the DUP, or anyone that could shame the Don and his mob. As an alternative, Stalford should try rubbing the genie's lamp rather than his own.
To paraphrase a poet, eventually it will pass, the noise will fade and the dust shall settle. But for now the Bot Brigade and the Bonfire Bigots will vie with each other in the race to the bottom, as many others are reminded of dreary steeples while hoping it is not a truism that people deserve the government they get.
Sinn Fein's critics have been circling the prey while the party rather than head this one off at the pass has instead circled the wagons. Michelle O’Neill continues to insist she acted responsibly in the manner she observed social distancing guidelines at the funeral of Bobby Storey when seemingly more than just the usual detractors see her as having failed, albeit to varying degrees.
Believing her to have been at fault does not translate directly to a demand for her resignation. Despite the posturing and faux outrage, it suits neither Sinn Fein nor the DUP to see the executive brought down again. Citizenry, North and South, would probably settle for a mild rebuke were some sort of, even mumbled, acknowledgement of a breach on O'Neill's part forthcoming. They are more likely to echo the thought of Taoiseach Micheal Martin that it is important not to be "overly judgmental" than to seek the Free P moonshine of sackcloth and ashes. The party that burned enough ash to fill a motorway of cloth sacks lacks the moral authority to credibly make that call.
For O'Neill, it would be a political apology rather than a personal one as she probably feels her personal errancy was at the milder end of the scale. Politically is where her transgression lies, and which makes her an easy target for lampers eager to emblazon her as someone making the rules for others to observe while failing to observe the rules she makes. As Sam McBride concisely put it:
When a government minister openly and unashamedly disregards advice which she has told the public was crucial to save lives, there are inevitable political repercussions.
There is no reason to disagree with O'Neill's insistence that she did not mean to give offence by attending the funeral. However, her dogged determination to insist that there was no fault, is itself coming to be appear as the bigger fault, ultimately causing even greater offence. Nor is it those who rise before dawn every morning to ensure they catch the first offence of the day ahead of everybody else, who are genuinely offended. A lot of people have been unable to attend funerals of ones held dear because of the type of restrictions Michelle O'Neill has rightly insisted on being observed during the global pandemic.
Belfast City Council's seemingly inexplicable decision to deny eight grieving families the ability to attend the the cremation of their loved ones has not helped Sinn Fein, even if if the party did nothing to sway the council's decision. When a daughter claims 'Mummy had to be cremated alone ... we were told this was the rule', it is not hard to imagine the sense of public concern and sympathy generated. Ironically, there is no need to buy into the misty-eyed drivel of Bobby Storey the "gentle giant" to appreciate that it was not in the Storey character to hog "special treatment" in these type of matters, particularly when it had such a huge impact on other grieving families. But these are the things that tend to get lost in the heat of the moment.
Sinn Fein is feeling the heat, so much so that Sam McBride who was widely praised for his determined work on the Cash For Ash scandal has suddenly been turned into a villain by the Bot Brigade, ever eager to engage the enemy in the pretence that name calling and bullying is somehow active service. His crime was to do exactly what he did when RHI wanted its own funeral pyre to be quickly extinguished: he persisted in asking the burning question.
To paraphrase a poet, eventually it will pass, the noise will fade and the dust shall settle. But for now the Bot Brigade and the Bonfire Bigots will vie with each other in the race to the bottom, as many others are reminded of dreary steeples while hoping it is not a truism that people deserve the government they get.
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From what I gather it was the Provo's flexing muscle at Roselawn which rankled most, but what astounding hypocrisy from the Duppers to call for M'ON resignation after the RHI balls up.
ReplyDeleteThe people may hope all they want, but they'll still get the governments they deserve.
ReplyDeleteBesides the appalling behaviour of the pseudo-political wing of the Provo's at Storey's funeral we have a dearth of leadership here in the south also. Their collective actions ensure that the electorate continues to get what they deserve.
In facilitating Barry Cowen's continuation as Minister for Agriculture Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, The Green Party and Sinn Féin, either as parties to government or as leaders of the opposition have all abdicated their responsibilities for authentic leadership yet again.
If the people in either state on the island are to be expected to follow guidelines about their behaviour during a pandemic they will have to have authentic and consistent leadership. Billy Kelleher arriving from Europe and Michelle O'Neill from the North to attend Micheál Martin's appointment as Taoiseach contravened Public Health guidelines in doing so.
Given such example, its hard to be critical of those who disregard guidelines whether they're attending prostitutes, Provo funerals or bonfires!