Arlene Foster

paddyann the fake outrage at the “human rights violation” of being told not to sing the sash, the famine song, the soldiers song, black and tans, my father said and the rest in a public place on sky television is ridiculous.

Panhandling for votes at any cost.

Just sing something else!!

We've made great strides on tackling sectarianism in (mainly) the West of Scotland where it has been our shame,sadly the unionist parties managed to get rid of the Offensive Behaviour at Football Matches bill which aimed to stop the sectarian songs that many find offensive as well as other "bad " behaviour.Just last monththere was a group of Rangers"fans" videod singing the usual Orange Order nonsense F the pope and making nazi salutes .Now I may be odd but what has FOOTBALL got to do with either of those things.
The DUP being involved in Mays government has given these eegits a voice ,and Ms Foster fronting their march will enpower them even more.
The problems of the Orange Walk which we believed to be dying are once agin being visited on us an dMOST of us neither like nor want it .
NI has been a differnet place since th egood Friday agreement..shame its all going to hell because of this party and the Tories Brexit stance re the borders

I thought I had type 'I agree' at the end.
Yes, I agree that she did come across like that and pity her politics don't seem to bear this out.

Her father was shot by the IRA when she was 8 and she was cowering in another room (he did survive) and Kielty's father was killed by Protestant para-militaries when Kielty was a teenager.

Both incidents must have shaped their views and their destinies - in totally different ways.

Sun 03-Jun-18 17:14:00 Blinko
I saw that programme and was intrigued by the interaction between Patrick Kielty and Arlene Foster - she came across quite differently in that exchange.

Very interesting take on the problem. AF came across as strongminded, yet likeable and intelligent. Pity her politics don't seem to bear this out.

Muffin, thanks, that's lovely.

Re hatchet faced:

“If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it.

A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”

- Roald Dahl, The Twits

I grew up with this book and have come to realise this observation is absolutely true

Hiding the alcohol from view is the equivalent of their sending their women to England for abortions isn’t it - it all looks fine on the outside.

If you describe someone as hatchet-faced they have a face with narrow dimensions and sharp features - like an axe but surely someone could look like this and be as nice as pie? This wasn’t what I was saying I was saying she has a mean and narrow bigoted outlook.

When we were visiting NI for DGS3's christening we went to Tesco for some last minute supplies.

We were sent away from the checkout because we had some wine (alcohol, pronounced with a spit in the voice) in our trolley. We had to slink through at the end where a hatchet faced stern looking woman refused to speak to us and shoved our shopping through as though it were contaminated.

DH wondered if we'd landed in Saudi Arabia by mistake.

The guests all availed themselves of our booze, in fact some seemed rather merrier than we expected. That was because there were bottles of wine hidden from view in various places including a full laundry basket.

Thank goodness our grandsons realise the OO is bigoted and dangerous.

She is very keen on some human rights, but not on others. Vile, poisonous woman. Heard someone (of Irish descent) on Any Questions yesterday describe the DUP as 'The Taliban of Ireland'. Strong stuff, but he said they are extremely secretive about their membership, and there are rumours that the membership only amounts to around 1100 people. West Coast Scottish ancestry here too, and remember talk of marching, and 'King Billy' but glad to say most of this seems not to have passed on to my generation and the next. My half English children don't believe me I think when I tell them of my Uncle who was angry when I turned up to visit (from my English school) wearing a scarf in the house colour of bright green ( my house was Celts). Incredible. Ms Foster needs to keep her neb out of things which are not her business. Can I say neb without offending anyone's sensibilities?

Did anyone see the programme about the Irish Troubles/situation/paradox, call it what you will, presented by Patrick Kielty about a month ago? A heartfelt story, as his own father was murdered by protestants. He interviewed Arlene Foster. It seems he was at Uni with her and they get on well, despite being on the opposite sides of 'the divide'.

Very interesting take on the problem. AF came across as strongminded, yet likeable and intelligent. Pity her politics don't seem to bear this out.

Exactly my point Day6. None of us can help how we look, but yes, we can help how we behave.

Secularism has a lot to commend it, imo.

I agree Blinko.
I have Irish relatives on both sides of the border and both sides of the religious divide. I have the heritage of a mongrel because of inter-denomination marriage. They'll tell you they believe in a wise and all knowing God, who doesn't really care about the way in which you worship him as long as you try to love one another.

Yet hatred rules. Strange, isn't it?

I agree that Orange Order marches only serve to stir the pot.

Hatched (sic) faced”is not a personal comment on her appearance, it describes her stance on political issues

Hmm. I think you are fooling yourself or stretching the expression to suit yourself. It IS a criticism of appearance.

If you describe someone as hatchet-faced they have a face with narrow dimensions and sharp features - like an axe.

She may be doing a 'hatchet job' but you are criticising her looks, and in a harsh and uncomplimentary way, if you use 'hatchet-faced'.

All politicians are open to criticism but really, to denigrate her looks is a bit below the belt, imo.

Ah but ah but crystal it’s all about free speech don’t you know? Freedom and choice, rights and respect - the clarion call of the OO/DUP ( except of course if it’s women and gay people)

Shouldn't marches and organisations which stir up racial or religious or just plain old hatred for other be banned?

SinnFein are a political party who want their country reunited.I for one out of the many of irish descent agree fully with them.

Not just people of Irish descent, Paddyann. I'm sure that most people in the wider UK are fed up with the nonsensical situation in NI and wish the whole lot of them would give up this historical bigotry and come to live peaceably on the island of Ireland.

Secularism has a lot to commend it, imo.

This is the season of the Borders festivals in Scotland. Many people get drunk so they can hardly see their horses and even sober people get emotional about the superiority of their own toons.
By contrast the OO marches are political and involve worse than friendly rivalry. My late mother's family who were Belfast Protestants had the attitude that OO marches whether in Belfast or in Glasgow were for "rowdies" only, and that unfairness in society is sorted out peacefully.

I asked only because I'd never heard of crimes in the name of the OO. I will agree that some OO members are likely to belong to other organisations that would be illegal. But I wouldn't tar all OO members with that same brush.

A small Orange Parade goes through our town on the morning of 12 July as Orange Lodges make their way to the main parade.
Hardly anyone bothers to even go to the end of the street to see them or the bands. No flags are flying from homes as they used to when I was a child.

Any trouble locally around this particular time of year is at the feet of the idiots who look for an excuse to scrap every weekend after closing time when they have topped up on alcohol and are feeling full of themselves.

I cant provide a link ,sorry but it was widely reported in the media about families who had to flee their homes in belfast after on going abuse from neighbours who were OO members.This is surely unacceptable in the 21st century from people who think they still live in the 17th century..thir battle that they celebrate was a very long time ago and has damn all to do with the people of either NI or Scotland today .It may not have been done in the name of the OO but it WAS OO members

Paddyann
"""She should be curbing the OO in NI where there are STILL crimes against the Catholic community by them ,people being forced out of their homes etc. """

I ask this question with sincerity.
You have stated that crimes are committed in the name of he OO. Can you cite a link to this information. It is very possible that some members of the OO would be involved in other organizations. However, I cannot recall ever hearing of a crime committed in the name of the OO.
I truly would be interested to see your sources.

Should these marches be banned?

I think faith schools are a bad idea too but since they do exist is it further discrimination for them only to want teachers belonging to whatever faith it is? Or is that just what one would expect of a discriminatory school system?

Yes it is

Agree varian.
Also don't like the promotion system which accepts (reluctantly) non RCs as teachers but will not promote anyone who is not a baptised RC with the appropriate certificate from the local bishop.
Isn't that blatant discrimination?