Northern Ireland

Lots of stuff going on in the world this week, but this one caught my eye:


Sinn Fien Endorses Plan For Ulster Police Reform

Northern Ireland, for those of you who are unfamiliar with it, has been in a state of conflict for a very long time, it was partitioned from Ireland in the beginning of the 20th Century. The population is divided between those who consider themselves British (Protestant) and those who consider themselves Irish (Catholic).
The Irish Unionists want Northern Ireland to be part of the Republic of Ireland, and the British Loyalists to either accept it or go back to England. The British Loyalists want to stay citizens of Great Britain, but don't want to leave what have been their homes for generations. This has led to bitter political disagreement and plenty of violence from both sides.

While there is still violence, it has declined, and the most prominent figures on the Catholic side have begun to speak in terms of working from within the system and establishing a peaceful compromise. While agreement is not totally unanimous, it's a step.

The latest development has come when the Catholic party known as Sinn Fein came out as officially backing a reform of the Ulster Police Department. For a long time the Irish have been at odds with the British-staffed police department. Now they are taking steps to work with them to make sure that Catholic and Protestants are represented proportionally on the force (the population is split almost half-and-half, with slightly more Protestants living in the territory in question).

It's a complicated situation, with tempers and grudges flaring on both sides, but it would be good to see Northern Ireland establish it's goal of peace with justice for all of its citizens whatever their ancestry.

It would do well for Ireland, which has long been a bastion of art and learning for Europe (see Thomas Cahill's excellent How the Irish Saved Civilization for more on that) to stand as an example of how to finally end the cycle of terrorism and oppression caused by ideological divides.
It may be a bit naive and very idealistic to think it may someday come about, but stranger things have happened, especially in Ireland

The Heros of New Amsterdam

New York City, never a town to do things small, has kicked off the new year with a couple of pretty amazing acts of heroism.
On the first day back to work, subway commuters were given a pretty amazing display by 50 year old Wesley Autrey. Tuesday morning a 19 year-old college student named Cameron Hollepeter suffered what appeared to be an epileptic seizure, and fell off the platform right in front of an oncoming train. Without time to think, Autrey jumped down onto tracks, leaving his two young daughters on the platform.
Autrey decided he wouldn't have time to haul Hollepeter back up, so he pinned the young man down in a drainage ditch between the tracks and hoped that it would be deep enough. Apparently it was, by about two inches.
After the train came to a halt over top of the men, anxious spectators heard Autrey shouting that "There are two little girls up there, let them know their daddy is OK."

While Tuesday's rescue was underground, Thursday's drama started four stories above the sidewalk. Three-year-old Timothy Addo had somehow slipped past his sitter and gotten out onto a fire escape. Timothy had gotten trapped and was dangling above the street, with his grip loosening. His guardian angels came in the form of two passers-by named Julio Gonzalez and Pedro Neverez. The two men positioned themselves under the toddler and did their best to catch him. The 43 lbs Timothy (what are they feeding these kids?) bounced off Neverez and onto Gonzalez, knocking both to the ground. All three got off with only scrapes and bruises.

I'm sure that in the same week there were a thousand tragedies in New York City. I'm sure that there are many other stories to be told all across the region that affected more lives than these two. But I think, with all the examples that we see of people behaving badly, lying and taking advantage of each other, it's important to stop and acknowledge the ones who step up and help. All three of these men were just ordinary guys on their way to work, who saw someone who needed help and put themselves on the line to save a life.

That's called a good example, we could use a few more of those!

See you all on Monday.

Good Samaritan on the Subway

Passers-by Catch Tumbling Toddler