Steve Bannon should butt out of Ireland with his toxic brand of politics |
THE recent passing of two SDLP veterans, Joe Byrne and Mary Bradley, served as a timely reminder that people who took part in peaceful political activism during the worst of times in Northern Ireland did so at great personal risk and sacrifice.
But they also did so without bitterness, rancour, or animosity towards those who were politically opposed to them.
It’s a quality so often missing from the toxicity of modern-day politics.
Politics isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s very much a blood sport.
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I have witnessed the best of politics and the worst. The best is inspiring and galvanising. The worst is depressing and demoralising.
Joe Byrne and Mary Bradley were of a generational movement which rejected violence, promoted peace, and stood courageously on the front line, armed with nothing but their resilience and resolve.
They demonstrated bravery by........