I
did not want to let Easter pass by without updating
you. Easter is of course a time of great significance
for all of us symbolising as it does the triumph
of life over death and good over evil all those
years ago in Dublin. It’s certainly been hectic
few weeks.
First
off, I finally had the privilege of seeing one of
my plays, “The Press Conference”, given
its world premiere, at the Silent Arms, one of Cricklewood’s
most prestigious pub venues. It is a matter of some
regret that the Abbey, our so-called National Theatre,
found the material too hot to handle. They may protest
as loudly as they can about how the play was “not
what we are looking for right now” and say
as often as they like “we wish you success
placing the work elsewhere”, but we republicans
know censorship when we see it. Scant respect, you
may think for a work which I have been assured by
at least one major political party will one day
be a cornerstone of the Leaving Certificate syllabus.
Of
course these are difficult times for republicans.
As you may know the crisis in the peace process
made it necessary for Martin McGuinness to stay
at home for St. Patrick's Day. Rather then disappoint
our friends over the water, and as it was apparently
too late to cancel the suite, I found myself stepping
into the breach. I am happy to say the glitz of
recent years has given way to a more intimate approach.
We made a conscious decision to stay away from the
corridors of power and reconnect with the grass
roots. We decided that as a anti-imperialist party,
we could not agree to meet President Bush in protest
against Iraq and that sort of thing generally. It
is a matter of regret that the McCartney family,
whom we fully support of course, took the opportunity
to visit Washington in our place in order to smear
the Republican Movement. Despite receiving sound
advice from Martin not to bother their heads with
politics, they have allowed themselves to be manipulated
by enemies of the peace process such as the SDLP
and, it pains me to say, certain people not a million
miles away from this publication. Once again I urge
them, as a staunch supporter of their quest for
justice, to watch their mouths. As a demonstration
of our desire to help, I can announce that Sinn
Fein is willing to help those who may be uncomfortable
going to the police. Anyone who witnessed the events
of that night is urged to contact Sinn Fein, giving
their name and address and whether or not they are
prepared to testify against members of the IRA.
I promise, someone will be in touch.
This
left Senator Kennedy as the only politician on our
schedule. Sadly we had to cancel this also. It turns
out that our good friend Danny Morrison had been
doing some research into the senator and found out
that he had been involved in the suspicious death
of a young woman. As we have repeatedly stated in
recent weeks, we will have no truck with disreputable
behaviour of any kind, and had we known about this
incident we would never have agreed to the meeting.
I can however deny the scurrilous suggestion that
the IRA has approached the Kopechne family with
an offer to “take care” of the senator.
The
upside of all this that we managed to avoid the
tedious political meetings, the big money donations
and the sumptuous banquets, and concentrate on the
little people. The point was made most eloquently
by Gerry Adams, as he gave the keynote speech to
a rapt audience well into the dozens at O’Grady’s
bar in Akron. When he contrasted the salt of the
earth types he was addressing now with his Oval
Office and Trump Tower affairs of past years, I
swear there was a tear in his eye.
Slan
Jimmy
Sands
Caribbean Sinn Fein Fifth Anniversary Co-ordinator
