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``Our
experience of the Irish Peace Process has shown us
in a very real way that dialogue and negotiation is
the best way to achieve the peaceful resolution of
conflicts."
So
spoke Gerry Adams on Thursday, in calling for the
Irish people to oppose war in Iraq. It would be hard
to think of a single phrase which better encapsulated
the Republican message. The logic of his speech cannot
be faulted; as he pointed out one cannot justify a
campaign in which inevitably civilians will die. As
we line up shoulder to shoulder this weekend with
our fellow peace activists, it is with a mixture of
pride and sadness: Pride, because we have taken a
courageous and principled stand yet again; sadness,
because of the distress that this appears to have
caused to some of our friends in America, and it is
to them that I address my words today.
First
of all let me say this; the bond of struggle that
unites us with our comrades in America is an unbreakable
one. Words cannot express our appreciation for the
endless gifts of support, encouragement and hardware
over the years. You will never know what it meant
to know that we had steadfast supporters in armchairs
and bars across your great country, and your warmth,
advice, and fully tax-deductable contributions mean
as much to us now as they ever did. There has been
a great deal of speculation that the party was distancing
itself from INA, apparently on the basis that it had
become an embarrassment. No article of this nature
would be complete without mention of Noraid. So, hello,
Noraid.
Friends
of Sinn Fein, however, we would suggest is perhaps
the organisation best placed to capture the hearts,
minds and disposable income of the new generation
of activists. For those who wish to make a less public
commitment, our new "inner circle" group,
Friends of a Friend of Sinn Fein will provide a similar
role. The launch of FoFoSF last week received little
attention but was a memorable evening for those of
us privileged to hear Gerry give the inaugural address
at a banquet at Trump Towers. He is, of course, an
electrifying speaker, especially in English. I don't
know about you but I never get tired of hearing the
heartwarming anecdote of how the British Army once
tried to find him by using his dog, Livingstone, to
sniff him out. I don't want to boast, but judging
by the company we had on the top table, our long cherished
dream of outspending Fianna Fail at the next election
is within our grasp. The only difficulty I had was
keeping up with the intricacies of American politics.
For example, being a Republican in America means something
completely different. There, it usually refers to
a staunch capitalist who likes to wrap himself in
the flag, tends to be very pro-military and in favour
of the death penalty. It can be quite confusing sometimes.
I was quizzed about our attitude to the Middle East.
I explained that we understood their concern and that
we sympathised with them, particularly in the aftermath
of September 11th. We too have experienced terrorism,
and while others just talk about apposing it, I pointed
out that Gerry Adams had devoted an entire Ard Fheis
speech to it, in which he described it as ethically
indefensible. Our guests walked away from the table
at this point, so I assume that our answer impressed
them.
After
that it was a quick ride to the airport, with barely
enough time to leave a message on the INA's machine,
and then home. So long good buddies!
Jimmy
Sands
Ceann
Comhairle
Caribbean Sinn Fein
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