Do Irish Gifthorses Have Green Teeth?

I am a cynic, I really am. You know what I'm like, no subject to sensitive to make jokes about, no heresy too heretical. One might say being born in Walthamstow might have something to do with it. There was I with no doubt the last lingering memories of my previous life dancing across the synapses of my brain, taking a look out of the window and thinking "Oh no, here we go again. What a bloody mess, honestly you turn your back for five minutes...Does it always look like that or do the windows have grey glass in? Oh Bugger. Well what year is it, who's prime minister? You've got to be bloody joking..." It's no wonder I screamed my head off and didn't sleep for five years. Yep, badly timed, battle scarred, hard bitten cynic.
I will, however, be having absolutely none of it when it comes to the IRA declaring their armed struggle over. Not a bloody word. "Oh but what about all the terrible..." Sh! "We've heard it all bef..." Zip it. "They're only doing it to remind us they're still there..." Mouth is open nursie should be shut. "Northern Bank robb...." Sh! Sh! SH! Whole bag o' Sh! with your name on it.
I condone nothing. I am taking nothing on faith. I am making excuses for nothing. This should all go without saying. But I am BEGGING the country to please please not say anything BLOODY STUPID and spoil this for everyone. Don't talk them out of it!
What has been achieved here is that we have created a country where bomb and bullet tactics are absolutely not considered the way to make a point. We used to get sidetracked into discussing the pros and cons of the Irish situation and who's done what to whom. Now for whatever reason, maybe something as militaristic as uniting against a common enemy, maybe because the IRA looked at the terrorists responsible for 9/11, Madrid, 7/7 and thought "We do not want to be like these people, and at the moment we are.", maybe because the savvy operator knows that in the current climate the people who can help them achieve what they want cannot be seen to even listen to them as long as they're part of the problem, maybe because when the 'lay supporters' of the IRA saw 7/7 they realised how much better it was when we thought those days were over, whatever the reason THERE IS NOW ONE LESS TERRORIST ORGANISATION TO WORRY ABOUT. This is a GOOD THING. And given that as far as the history of this country is concerned the IRA were the biggies, it's the single most useful thing that could have happened in Ireland. Now every other group there must answer as to why they will not declare their armed struggle over too. At least part of the reason for their continued existence before was retaliation against the IRA and affiliates.
We used to start with "Not that I'm condoning terrorism but..." and then debate the issues like they were good points made by reasonable people. When Al-Qaida and chums came along, we pretty much ignored the IRA, and given the current climate it seems they knew that the only thing they could not do to gain our attention was blow something else up. This feels like a lesson, doesn't it?
It is. We must talk about what it is to be not a good Muslim or a good Catholic or a good witch, but to be a good member of society. We must use what has happened to generate as much good as we can. Clearly history will tell us if this really was the end of the IRA. And may it remind us too that while the IRA fought, they achieved not one good thing. But to respond to other terrorists attacking us by giving up terrorism was to take a hell of a lot wind out of their sails, and totally deprive them of any vicotry they might feel. It was the First Good Thing, and may it be the first of many. If the big bad of British history could become a legitimate political institution working for harmony, that would tell this new batch of terrorists something. They wanted us to break apart and attack each other. We instead can now include people in 'us' that we haven't been able to for decades.
And you know what? People aren't using the tube, so they're walking and cycling! And whereas we previously maintained a tolerant ignorance of each others' religions, the likes of you and me are asking each other questions and really listening to the answers. And at the moment we have the police presence on the tube we've needed for years to combat things like the daughter of a friend of my mothers being surrounded by five blokes on the tube and wanked on while the rest of the carriage sat and did nothing. And more police on the streets. And relations with the police at an all time high as people thank them for being there and commend the speed of their investigation and the way they have been behaving. And the tubes are less crowded, and people are more aware of each other. All good things.
It may be that some of us look at each other on the bus and wonder what's in that bag. That might be a bit sad. But it might be what saves lives. And we're not only more aware for that reason. I've heard plenty of people say they're more on the lookout for anyone mistreating others for racial/religious reasons, and that they're now far more likely to step in to help a fellow traveler getting any kind of hassle. We're walking around, talking and listening to and looking out for each other, happy to know there's a couple of Polis a hundred yards away if we need them. We can take this horrible thing that's happened and use it as a basis to do good. We might even make London a better place...
Who'da thunkit?