| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Dog whistle attracts at least one canine? | |
| Posted by: | Kathleen Healy | |
| Date/Time: | 06/03/26 09:32:00 |
| Dennis, were you one of those who believed in the 80s that the Irish were more disposed to terrorism than other people. Having an Irish name and living in London at the time of the bombings, I met people who did. I had no connection to any Irish political group but having an obviously Irish name had to defend myself from suspicion of an aggressive minority, which felt uncomfortable. At that time, I imagine the majority of people detained in British jails on terrorism charges, were Irish. Proof enough for some people that most of the Irish were dangerous fanatics, particularly the Catholic ones, as most, including me, are. It was uncomfortable, a bit like the feeling I remember being bullied at school. You knew that there wasn't much you could say to change what they thought. Also an odd feeling that it was more about their pleasure in being able to pick on someone, rather than that they actually had any genuine grievance. Othering and dehumanising people, stripping away the empathy that people feel for another human in order to persecute them. Happened throughout history, starts slowly and builds to violence stoked by a drip drip of propaganda. Chilling seeing it happening again. |