Young
Unionists

Junior Minister Gerry Kelly has been at the centre of recent controversy surrounding his appearence on the BBC documentary ‘Breakout’ where he, without any hint of remorse, described the moment where he put a put a bullet in the head of a Prison Officer. Gerry Kelly by this stage was a well know terrorist with such atrocities such as the Old Bailey bombing already under his belt. Only in Northern Ireland and the current corruption of government can an individual like Gerry Kelly not only play a leading role, but be widely touted as Sinn Fein’s nominee for a role in the Policing & Justice Ministry. Michael Shilliday has hit on some of the themes in a previous post.

Lately we have been treated to the dulcet tones of Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams announcing to the world that the devolution of Policing & Justice was agreed to be completed by May 2008 in the St. Andrews negotiations and subsequent agreement. Sir Reg Empey has clearly stated that ‘blackmail‘ will not cut it, and here Sir Reg and First Minister Peter Robinson will need to stand together in the face of Sinn Fein’s demands. Both the DUP and UUP have explicitly stated that the marker for devolution of Policing & Justice will be the confidence of the unionist community, nothing less.

Let’s get back to Sinn Fein’s self-inflicted predicament. What do Sinn Fein not understand by ‘gaining the confidence of the unionist community’? Gerry Kelly is a prime example. How can a person with Gerry Kelly’s past where his bread and butter was the killing, maiming and sectarian pursuit of a united Ireland through terrorism be best suited for this role? Then just to rub salt in the wounds Junior Minister Kelly appears on ‘Breakout’ discussing his unrepentant pursuit of his ‘political’ goals. We can also throw into the mix the ‘unionist outreach’ approach headed up by another convicted terrorist, Martina Anderson. What were Sinn Fein trying to achieve if not to wind up unionists?

Unionisms approach to the peace process has frequently featured a requirement for repetence. If not repetence, then surely it is reasonable for civic society to expect that a shared future somehow requires a coming together over shared values. While we all aspire to a shared future, Sinn Fein’s deliberate strategy, exemplified by the staging of hunger strike and Loughgall ‘martyrs’ commemerations recently at Queen’s University; Gerry Kelly’s most recent contribution is unlikely to build confidence that a new generation of young nationalists and the republican movement, in a post-agreement Northern Ireland, regard respect for life, human rights, policing and law & order as prerequistites in a democratic society.