Editor:

The former First Minister David Trimble's insistence that the Provisional Irish Republican Army surrender its arms is actually a call for an unconditional surrender by the IRA.

If the IRA were to comply with Trimble's demand, then the Irish Catholic population of the north would again be helpless in the face of an armed 93% Orange sectarian Royal Ulster Constabulary — not to mention all of the other armed Orange sectarian paramilitary terrorist militias.

Doesn't Anne W. Smith, Trimble's North American Ulster Unionist Party propagandist, remember how the overwhelmingly British colonial RUC directed the peaceful demonstrators for equality in jobs, housing and voting into the waiting wrathful Orange sectarian mobs who then proceeded to violently attack the demonstrators?

The Good Friday Agreement was in fact an agreement that was a product of compromise. It was indeed a half-a-loaf from the perspective of Irish republicanism. Britain still retained sovereignty in the northern six counties while the Republic of Ireland abandoned all constitutional claim to those counties.

It should be obvious that David Trimble was not even satisfied with these concessions by Irish republicanism. He wants to restore the status quo ante before the GFA was agreed to overwhelmingly by the voters in both parts of the island of Ireland. He wants to retain Orange sectarian privileges and is not interested in allowing Catholics to attain the rank of first-class citizenship in the north.

Good riddance to David Trimble! May he and all others who think like him be reminded that the population of the northern six counties is now running close to 50% for both parts of the population. It will not be long before Irish republicanism gains a majority and then we will see if her majesty's government will then graciously allow the six counties of the North to be re-united into the fold of an island that is truly united, an island that boasts of but one Ireland.

William Gartland
Rio, Wi 53960

Increased Funding to UNFPA

Dear Editor,

Many will be shocked to discover that the Irish government has pledged £4.45 million of Irish taxpayers money to the highly controversial UNFPA (the population control arm of the United Nations) over the next three years. More disturbing is the fact that Ireland Aid, who administers Ireland's governmental aid to developing countries neglected to tell the Irish public and it was necessary to find out this information on the UNFPA web-site.

The UNFPA has an appalling human rights record. For example, it has been involved in China's population control program since 1979, the same year the brutal Chinese One Child policy was introduced.

This announcement of increased funding is particularly horrific in light of the fact that recently the Irish Mirror highlighted in graphic detail the consequences of the inhumane Chinese One Child policy.

How could the sight of that poor abandoned baby lying dead in the gutter not move one?

Those concerned with the protection of human rights should immediately contact their public representatives and demand that all funding to this organization cease.
 

EilÌs Grealy
Oranmore,
Co. Galway.
 
 

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