Nor did she speak out when other ex-prisoners in her party were shafted. She in fact delivered the message to the family of Peggy McCourt that his name wouldn't be put on the role of honour despite the fact that he was loyal to the party until he died. There was no reason not to put it on as others were on it who had not died on active service, including McGuinness.
The anger over corruption and cronyism which was rife in the party in Derry was nothing compared to the anger in the city when Sinn Féin aligned itself with the DUP to surrender Welfare Reform back into the hands of the Tories despite claims by the party that they would never allow it to happen and stunts like the 'Fight Tory Cuts' protests.
They seemed to think that people were stupid and believed in their lies about having no choice because Westminster was punishing them by cutting the Block Grant.
The fact is that Sinn Féin wanted to lower Corporation Tax and the money to do that would have come from the Block Grant.
They were willing to rob the the poor to give to the rich.
The fact that Martin McGuinness was Deputy First Minster at the time they sold out on Welfare Reform made matters worse, more so when he had stated that Welfare Reform was a line he wasn't willing to cross. Then he did cross it.
The problem for Sinn Féin was the fact that 8,000 of their voters abandoned them and gave a protest vote to the SDLP in much the same way Sinn Féin had abandoned Republicanism. The treatment meted out to the family of brave Kevin Lynch was only one of many instances which raised anger among Republicans and the insult to the family came from Belfast.
Derry is a city with no fear of a Unionist taking a seat and that is why Sinn Féin were punished in favour of the SDLP.
A generation of young men and women had died believing in a leadership which eventually stole the clothes of the SDLP and John Hume's 'Agreed Ireland' which replaced the '32 County Socialist Republic'.
It got to the stage where Republicans could no longer see any difference between the two parties expect for the deaths of IRA volunteers.
Republicans watched in disbelief as Sinn Féin did what no other establishment party was capable of doing, making the British Royal family acceptable in Ireland.
Martina Anderson was seen by Republicans as a career politician who went along with this unimaginable betrayal.
She was eventually betrayed herself as Sinn Féin slowly ditches the past like worn clothes.
They will eventually steal the clothes of Fianna Fáil in much the same way they stole those of the SDLP.
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Thomas Dixie Elliot is a Derry artist and a former H Block Blanketman. Follow Dixie Elliot on Twitter @IsMise_Dixie |
Powerful Words .... And so very true.
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