McGuinness Needs to Deal With All His Past
Following an interview in the Derry Journal with Martin McGuinness the DUP’s East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell said,
“Martin McGuinness MLA is the current deputy first minister and has been the subject of potential attacks and threats recently from dissident elements in Londonderry. In his response to them he has indicated that he intends not to be deterred.
The first thing that must be said is that all threats and actual attacks, irrespective of who is the victim or who is the perpetrator should be condemned by all democrats. This is the case whether they occur today or 30 years ago.
The most revealing part of Martin McGuinness’s response is where he refers to wanting to talk to those involved in dissident violence.
When he says “I can defend to anybody the decisions I made over the last 20 years and my involvement in the peace process as Sinn Fein Chief negotiator” he unfortunately fails to deal with one of the most essential elements of dealing with the past.
While talking about the last 20 years he completely fails to refer to the previous 20 years, which is the period that brought about so much heartache and terror to so many people in Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein have repeatedly talked about ‘dealing with the past’, they have to elaborate on the part so many of their members played in causing it, if they want people to begin believing them.”
