Letter: Gesture for peace

Thomas Hutchison McFadden
Saturday 20 February 1999 01:02 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Sir: Maybe the best way to solve the logjam over IRA decommissioning is for Britain to take its natural place on the highest moral ground.

The IRA refuses to hand in weapons because they see this as surrender and humiliation. But what but such confusion would you expect from them? The IRA are only terrorists: I know this because I read it in the British press. The people who brought you Bloody Sunday, by contrast, are Security Forces.

Since the latter are so much more honourable than the IRA, let them lead the way on surrendering weapons too (just on a token, symbolic basis, of course). After all, Tony Blair told the IRA that their decommissioning would be not surrender, but a declaration of the victory of peace.

THOMAS HUTCHISON McFADDEN

Pembroke College,

Oxford

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in