On the BBC website yesterday morning the top third of their front page was a large picture of the (former) terrorist with a black background and the words 'RIP Martin McGuiness' ..... it was as if the Queen had died and yet I have NO option but to contribute to this media pressure group... The BBC a National Treasure... my ar5e
Seems this days you're only called a freedom fighter if you're the right colour! Bin Laden, IRA, the lot. Anyone who tries achieves goals or their agenda via means of putting fear into a population is a terrorist.
The death of McGuiness is a huge story because of his political career. The death of a terrorist who had not changed course would not be a big story, and you would not expect the BBC to give it prominence, but McGuiness was a major part of the peace process, so his death is big news. Tebbitt was right to say what he did,he knows first hand the effects of the IRA bombing campaign, and his comments have been well reported on BBC radio. The BBC World Service is the best news service anywhere bar none, and I can recommend it. I grew up in a corner of SW Scotland where sectarianism was a fact of life, and you had to tread carefully at times in case you said the wrong thing to the wrong man. I've seen both sides of the divide and they are equally ugly, so I've steered clear of this story, and will again after this post. Everyone is entitled to their view, but I don't celebrate his death, or mourn it.
Agree about the BBC - I don't see it as being biased as others. There was a story to report yesterday and I think they represented both sides of him, in a balanced manner (IMO). My missus had no idea who he was - dont judge - and came to the conclusion it was a good thing he had passed after watching BBC breakfast.
Norman Tebbit - who was privy to the security briefings - has said that McGuiness was on the verge of being arrested for his personal involvement in murders and that his conversion bought him time and saved him 25 years in jail. No Govt is going to want a Republican peace campaigner jailed are they? That Odious vile man Alistair Campbell - who knows plenty about civilian deaths - has Tweeted that MM was a "great guy" - seemingly on the basis that he knew that Campbell supported Burnley and they often chatted football in between comparing civilian death casualty rates.
-got his come-uppance from Ian Hislop when he chaired Have I Got News For You. I almost felt sorry for him, so sustained was the mauling that Hislop dished out over Iraq..
Odious scumbag who never apologised for his murderous atrocities on innocent individuals - catholic and protestant - and went to his grave without releasing information on the buried bodies of those who are still 'missing'. However, if the Rev Ian Paisley could forgive him that to move forward the peace process, my opinions don't really matter from the outside.
People bang on about tourism money - unless people are paying to sit down and have a cuppa with the queen, the argument holds no weight. We'd make more money without having to provide for them + you could make a killing selling tours of Buckingham palace etc,