Letter: State imposition
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.MICHAEL WATTS refers to the 1801 Act of Union as evidence that Northern Ireland is not a colony (Letters, 8 August). That is very selective use of historical fact. The Act was supported by imposed Protestant rulers in Ireland whose dominance of Irish politics was in direct inverse to their proportion of Ireland's population. The legitimacy of the Act of Union has always been, therefore, in doubt - a situation comparable to the imposition of apartheid by minority white rulers in South Africa in 1948.
Mr Watts' description of Northern Ireland as a legitimate political state ignores the fact that it is a carefully prepared political and geographical entity drawn up to ensure a Protestant majority. Unionists in Northern Ireland cannot claim legitimacy, especially when their argument is founded on the kind of religious bigotry most aggressively espoused by Ian Paisley. A similar religious bigotry underpinned the illegitimate, racist Boer regime in South Africa.
DAVID WALTON
Margate, Kent
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments