{Irish killings}[12th May 1972]

[Redbook1:238-239][19720512:2050]{Irish killings}[12th May 1972]

Friday 19720512 20.30

            The man who kills for personal reasons, in the heat of the moment, is perhaps most understandable.

            The man who kills impersonally but to protect himself is perhaps on a level with the soldier killing in war.

            But the man who kills in pre-meditated cold blood, knowing full well what he intends to do, for the sake of an ideal, comes nearest, perhaps, to Evil.  (And yet, there must be an explanation.  Is it aberration to the point of insanity?  Or is it simply low intelligence and lack of imagination?  Is there really a violent trait in the Irish character, similar to that found in some primitive peoples?  Or is there some sad lack in the Irish family life?  Is there something in the climate, or in the soil?)  That man is guilty of putting people after ideals, which is a great danger.

            There is only one thing that can help Ulster now, and that is the people, who must come to see exactly where their true interests lie.  It is to the discredit of both Governments and both Parties that they have not seen before that whatever else they did, they had to keep the people on their side – of whatever race, class or religion.

            For power comes not, in the ultimate, from the barrel of a gun, but from the people. 

            Politicians, unfortunately, tend to see life and people in terms of politics rather then politics in terms of people.

            We may at some stage see the first appearance of the leaders’ war – where one belligerent State announces – in its own interest – that it has no quarrel with the people of the opposing state, but only with its leaders – and carries out its part in the war with that attitude in mind.

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