Terrorists have no mandate for violence

YESTERDAY’S admission by the terrorists who believe they have a mandate to murder people in our name that they killed PSNI Constable Ronan Kerr three weeks ago is not only tragic but pathetically ironic.

Whether the irony was intended or not none of us will ever know but the warped mindset of those anti-democratic thugs would suggest that the timing of the announcement was designed to try to steal some legitimacy from the past.

This despite the fact that the vast majority of people living on this island have long since democratically and freely expressed the wish that we build the future through consent rather than through murderous ambushes, car bombs or whatever methods these criminals decide to use.

The fact that the admission was made on the 95th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising may be symbolic for the murderers who delude themselves by imagining they are today’s representatives of that tradition. For most of the five million-plus people sharing this small island their acknowledgment of guilt was little more than a stomach-turning reminder of the past that nearly destroyed this country and our relationships with our neighbours. It was a reminder that a deeply anti-democratic, immoral and violent tradition — more or less fascist in its intolerance — still plagues our society despite all of the advances, despite all of the progress enshrined in legislation north and south of the border.

Even if these people feel betrayed by former colleagues who have forsworn violence they must see that they are isolated by the kind of democracy impossible on this island 95 years ago. They are on the wrong side of history and every attack they launch, and they have promised more, will isolate them further. Further violence would not only be an affront to everyone who voted for a peaceful future it would be a huge slap in the face for all of our American and European friends who helped make peace possible through their efforts and their financial support.

Refuting the claim made by Constable Kerr’s murderers that the peace process has failed, it is instead a sign of the great progress that has been made that the border becomes more and more irrelevant the more time that passes. It may be a line on a map defining different political entities but every year that passes it loses its power to divide the people of this island. Despite the lunacies of the terrorists it long ago ceased to be a reason for any kind of violence or confrontation.

As a great number of Irish people prepare to welcome Queen Elizabeth to this Republic next month is it too much to hope that this tiny number of people might use Easter weekend to reflect on their untenable position, their utter lack of support and the offence and pain they inflict on the great majority of their fellow citizens?

Just as we’ve had more than enough greed, more than enough lies and more than enough betrayals we’ve had more than enough of the kind of carnage these terrorists inflict on our society. It is well past the time they realised that and acted accordingly.