The Trespasses
One of the problems with serving in any conflict zone is that we only get one side of the story.
What I can verify is that the IRA were supplied with funds, arms and ammo by the USA. I say the USA because their government knew this support of terrorism in the UK was happening...and if you know it's happening and you do nothing to stop it, you're complicit in the act. Various shipments of arms and explosives were intercepted by the British Armed Forces during the troubles. You can Google it for yourselves.
The Russians were paying for IRA terrorists to be trained in Libya. This information was information passed down by the unit intelligence cell but I can't personally confirm it. Russia also supplied the IRA with weapons, those of us that served in Northern Ireland can confirm this.
There were people who kept the circle of hatred going, Catholics, Protestants and those serving in various uniforms. Some through the pain of loss and injustice, others through the addiction to power...some through idiocy.
Some of us spoke with local people and found out most people weren't interested in fighting each other...they were busy living, surviving...caught like small boats being battered by giant waves from three sides. They had to pay protection money to the terrorist organisation in charge of their area.
The Trespasses is worth watching from a community point of view, not just because it's about the troubles...but because I've witnessed the same kind of behaviour, issues and injustices in Asian communities too.
Bigotry, hatred, violence and the resulting injustices stem from tribalism. Tribalism or community can be inclusive or exclusive...only we can derermine it's course through individual thought, underlined by individual commitment...but in this age of media exploitation, we have to be mindful, be able to explore issues for ourselves and be responsible for our own thoughts, actions and feelings.
There are and will be more incidents of injustices, locally and internationally. I hope we can weather them with open hearts and minds...without any hatred.
Villayat 'Wolf' Sunkmanitu
