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Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) made the following statement on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Easter uprising in 1916 and urging equality for the people of Northern Ireland.
"Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening as we approach the St. Patrick’s Day recess to remind this body of the continuing struggle for peace and justice in the North of Ireland. For many in America of Irish ancestry this is a time of celebration, as it should be, however, we must also recognize that the fight for freedom and equality on the island of Ireland is still being waged.
Tonight, I want to remember and commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Easter uprising and the proclamation of an Irish Republic at the General Post Office in 1916. The brave men and women who took up arms against England vowed to fight for "religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities [for] all Irish citizens".
This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the deaths of ten brave young men who died on a hunger strike in Long Kesh. Their courage, and that of the women of Armagh, inspired countless individuals and made the world take notice of the cruel and discriminatory policies of the British government in the North of Ireland. Their sacrifice proved the shortsightedness of a British policy of criminalization. Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity today to meet once again with Gerry Adams, whom I admire so much for his continued determination to educate the Members of Congress about the situation in Northern Ireland.
Because of the sacrifice of so many dedicated individuals like Gerry Adams over the years, we have seen great strides in the quest for an Ireland of Equals. The historic cease-fire by the IRA in 1994, followed by the Good Friday Accords signed in 1998 created tremendous progress in the North. The IRA's recent decision to lay down their weapons and pursue exclusively peaceful means towards the goal of a united Ireland is yet another hopeful sign. However, there still remains much to be done.
The Good Friday Agreement must be implemented in full. Any attempt to walk away from the institutions set forth in the Agreement, or substitute them with something less, is a mistake. It is designed to placate extremists who want to fight progress and maintain their superiority, and this simply cannot be allowed to stand. Responsible leaders on all sides and in all parties must recognize that equality and progress is inevitable and give the people of Northern Ireland the democracy they deserve now.
Mr. Speaker, I have consistently called for the full implementation of the Patten recommendations on policing because I believe true peace cannot exist without justice. This will not happen until there is a fair and impartial police service, representative of all communities in the North. A dismantling of the British war machine in towns like South Armagh and Crosmaglen needs to happen now so that residents there can live in peace and without fear of violence from a government supposedly there to protect them. With a history of collusion between the RUC and loyalist paramilitaries a full, complete and independent inquiry must also be done into the death of Pat Finucane, murdered by paramilitaries in front of his young family.
Twenty-five years ago as Bobby Sands sat in his cell on a hunger strike he wrote in his diary:
“If they aren’t able to destroy the desire for freedom, they won’t break you. They won’t break me because the desire for freedom, and the freedom of the Irish people, is in my heart. The day will dawn when all the people of Ireland will have the desire for freedom to show.”
The British and Irish governments must recognize that the desire for freedom is as strong today as it ever was and it will not be destroyed. The historic moves by the IRA and the electoral gains made by Sinn Fein are evidence of this desire. People will not tolerate a return to the conditions that have plagued the North for so many years." |
