Why I can understand how parents of murdered servicemen really feel

FAR be it for me to comment on the Northern Ireland situation. My understanding of the matter comes in the form of music and some movies — similar to some Irish basing their vision of America on John Wayne and the sort.

However, there is one component of the sad news from the North I can relate to and comment on — continuing the ancient chronicle that it is the young who will die in conflict. Two young British troops and a policeman, patriotically serving their country and most likely idealistically believing they were helping the citizens of Northern Ireland, were killed for policies that had nothing to do with them.

Now their families face a lifetime of disbelief and astonishment that their sons somehow could be blamed for things completely out of their hands. Consider the soldiers’ ages and try to comprehend how anyone thinks there was something to gain by killing them: a 21-year-old and a 23-year-old, their whole lives in front of them.