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As we start a New Year we are reminded by the Asian tsunami
disaster of man/woman's limited knowledge compared to the
magnitude of what we would refer to as "an act of God".
It really shows us just how helpless humanity is in such a
drastic situation: Our prayers and our thoughts are with all
those families who have suffered the loss of loved ones, all
those little children who have been left orphaned and homeless
and those relatives and friends still searching the rubble
for those who were beside them one minute and gone the next.
The final loss will never be known.
Back home in our own homeland we complain of high winds and
flooding of the land, but these are nothing compared to the
suffering in South East Asia. We thank all those who have
compassion and have gone to help in many ways to alleviate
the suffering of others.
I suppose one could say that, in contrast to natural disaster,
the IRA bank heist before Christmas where they have netted
£26.5 million of our money from the Northern Bank, could
have been avoided by those in authority. Some of the blame
must be with the Australian bankers who have made a mess of
a perfectly good banking system and ruined one of the finest
banks in the country. Being a customer for 50 years I will
personally be glad to see the end of the Australian Bank in
Northern Ireland and I am sure the new owners could not be
any worse. Hopefully, the first steps for the new company
will be to forget the cheap labour scenarios and let us have
experienced staff with loyalty towards the company and customer
alike.
In relation to the funding of sports especially gaelic, who
would seem to receive the largest portion of the sponsorships
from all banks within this country, it is time customers received
a bit of loyalty from all banks in the use of their money
invested.
Out of this bank heist of course we see yet again the failure
of the Chief Constable and the newly-formed Police (Service)
the P.S.N.I. It would be nice to see law and order having
priority within the whole community. It was interesting to
see 100 land rovers plus Army vehicles trundling into Jonesborough
recently to break up illegal activities and a further raid
on illegal dumping, the question has to be asked, how many
were brought to court for the illegal activities, would it
be fair to say the answer would be none? - because of the
area and the untouchables within our community.
Looking forward to 2005 must be related to 1995, since it
is now 10 years since Sinn Fein/IRA decided to disrupt our
Orange parades.
Tony Blair's Government brought in a new law and set in motion
what has become a fool's paradise, the Parades Commission.
Last year really did see how foolish this quango was, determinations
were like something out of a fictional book.
Many times they overstepped their mark on what their duties
are and not what they thought they should be. Our thanks go
to the general public and one lady in particular for her challenge
in the courts on the issue of her and the public's human rights.
It is sad that the PSNI are controlled by such a body of
misfits. We, in the Orange Institution always did have respect
for law and order. However, since the appointment of the new
chief constable as an extension to the political process in
Northern Ireland, it is plain to be seen that the position
of Chief Constable was an appointment made in Downing Street.
For those of you who would consider the Parades Commission
being a lawful body, which of course in the eyes of Parliament
it is since they made it law, let us consider the implications
to our culture and religious celebrations.
Following three parades within Belfast last June and July
the PSNI summoned district secretaries to a police station
to view their videos on complaints they received from the
Parades Commission.
All three parades had bands engaged where they played "The
Sash", last year the Parades Commission were told by
letter "The Sash" is not negotiable and will be
played by bands if they so desire. My letter was seemingly
ignored by the Parades Commission who are not answerable to
anyone, apparently not even to the Government who brought
it about by law.
Incidentally, a copy of the words of "The Sash"
was forwarded with the letter and informed it is 19th in the
"30 favourite songs in Ireland Volume 4".
Following the interviews of district secretaries, Grand Lodge
Office has written to the chief constable of the PSNI and
received a reply on his behalf on November 17, 2004 that there
is not a PSNI policy on the song, "The Sash".
However, violations of Parade Commission determinations are
breaches of the law. If a violation were, for example, down
to the singing/playing of "The Sash", the police
would take appropriate action. It is the violation of the
Parades Commission determination that precipitates police
action, we have been told.
There you have it, - the police are puppets to seven members
of an un-elected quango, who, when you read their commitments
to other bodies, you have to ask where do they get the time
to facilitate any of their appointments?
There were other complaints to the district secretaries e.g.
one band allowed a delay of 38 seconds between them and the
band in front, another band used three snare drums to keep
time, a further band started to play several yards before
the designated spot to begin the music (about 20 feet in a
100 per cent Protestant area) bearing in mind the bands were
not allowed to play for over half a mile, by order of the
Parades Commission and the beauty of them all - two mobile
phones were heard playing "The Sash".
The Government has been informed of our displeasure in their
setting up of and the misuse of the law in the formation of
a biased body to eventually wipe out the parading of loyalist
institutions. I say loyalist traditional parades as it is
quite blatant that republicans do not require the necessary
11/1 forms in informing the police of their intention to parade.
Republicans can walk when and where ever they wish (or in
the case of Newcastle last year, can change their venue within
hours and the police can make their own decision to allow
changes). Republicans are not subject to the Parades Commission
in parading details.
To our membership perhaps the time has come to assert our
rights and if we require a form 11/3, that is a form widely
used by republicans as a protest parade, then let us do it,
above all, let us all unite in our bid to make 2005 a year
when Protestants seek their human rights and not to be bullied
by Government quangos or a political policing organisation
who are not even concerned with the financing illegally of
a "pension fund for terrorists" through the Northern
Bank raid.
Having painted a gloomy picture of present-day circumstances,
an unforeseeable tragedy, bank robbery unheard of since the
days of the wild west, arsonists firing buildings at will,
all boiling down to failure at the very heart of Government
in their pathetic policy of appeasement to terrorists, I really
do hope that we can have a Happy New Year.
We can have a peaceful 2005 and above all we can convince
those who are interested in keeping peaceful parades that
it can be done with more transparency, openness and truthfulness
from Government establishments.
To all our readers it is our intention to keep you better
informed with a host of interesting articles throughout the
coming year and can I wish you all a prosperous and peaceful
2005.
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