Following
the horrific murder of Robert McCartney I felt compelled
to write this letter.
Robert
was savagely stabbed, beaten and left to die in
a city centre street. There were many people involved
in this murder - those who carried out the vile
act, those who witnessed it and those who participated
in the clean-up operation.
Investigation
into this was halted by what has been described
as "orchestrated disturbances".
Elected
representatives were heard saying that: "It
appears the PSNI is using last night's tragic stabbing
incident as an excuse to disrupt life within this
community and the scale and approach of their operation
is completely unacceptable and unjustifiable."
I
believe - as is evidenced by the support - that
the only "unacceptable and unjustifiable"
action that evening was the taking of an innocent
man's life. Our elected representatives told how
it "was very regrettable that what appears
to have been a very tragic incident at a bar has
been turned into a serious political situation".
If
what happened in Belfast city centre on Sunday January
30 was not a "political situation" then
it was criminal.
An
act of crime that broke the hearts of a large circle
of family and friends. The Chief Constable has said
that he does "not think this is a crime that
is related to a particular terrorist group following
its particular objective".
This
would support our elected representatives' theory
that it was not a "political situation"
- and therefore reiterates that it was a criminal
act - and should send a clear message to the consciences
of those with information of Robert's final minutes.
This was a straightforward inhuman act of crime
against the natural forces of life and God's will
is that, while we must forgive and forget, we must
also take responsibility for our actions.
The
time is upon us when we must support those with
information on Robert's death and help to bring
our community into an era that is free from murder
and fear.
As
I watched my cousin's coffin lowered into his final
resting place to be with my Grandfather and my cousin
Gerard I looked up to see nothing but confusion
and pain etched on the faces of family and friends.
I
wondered then if the hundreds who had prayed at
the vigil and more than 1,000 who had attended the
funeral were asking the same question I was: How
does murdering the innocent "protector"
of a "respected family" in the local community
build an Ireland of equals?
