Letter: Trouble with US visit
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: In her letter (3 February) Ms A. Arink discloses the very reasons for the British frustration at the visit of Gerry Adams to the US. She writes:
British atrocities towards Ireland over the centuries make many Americans uncomfortable and will, reasonably, elicit a sympathetic response . . . many Americans wanted to hear Mr Adams's views in order to make their own judgements.
The problem with the recent Adams visit was that: (a) Sinn Fein represented themselves as being the proper vehicle for that (perfectly reasonable) sympathy of which Ms Arink speaks, when they do not represent the consensus of the Irish themselves north and/or south of the border; (b) Americans wishing to hear Mr Adams's views did not get them; rather, he represented himself as 'a man of peace' when he has always defended the use of violence towards innocent people in the past, and elusively declined to denounce it in the future.
The tragedy of the Six Counties is that the more extreme each side is, the more they are 'students of history', constantly pointing to past atrocities to justify the continuation of violence.
The anger on this side of the Atlantic is that no one in the US appeared to press Mr Adams on these crucial points, but reverentially let him say what he wanted without, it seemed, any telling challenge.
Yours faithfully,
STEVEN RHODES
London, SW4
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments