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Sections of the media are already starting to
hype up the Drumcree issue - six months before the traditional
annual Orange church parade.
It's a deplorable and totally irresponsible attitude by those
sections of the media who should be playing their part in
trying to defuse situations, to cool emotions and not seek
to sensationalise a situation.
Christmas had no sooner passed than several papers had produced
banner headlines predicting trouble at 'Drumcree Four', and
they even used a story relating to the opening of an Orange
Hall last November to try and hype up their case.
The Orangemen of Portadown have been caught for years in
the centre of political furore and uproar - things which they
have no wish to be involved. Their only wish is to parade
the route which their forefathers have walked for nearly 200
years to worship God in the Church of the Ascension, on the
outskirts of Portadown.
The Orangemen have no wish to offend anyone, to cause annoyance
to their neighbours, and they have been greatly hurt and offended
by the manner in which their church parade has been used to
promote the most extreme political views.
The past three years have been extremely difficult ones for
the people of Portadown in general and the Orange brethren
of this Armagh District in particular. Enormous work has been
put into trying to achieve sensible accommodation over the
issue and Orange officers at every level, Grand Lodge, County
Lodge, District Lodge and Private Lodge have played their
part, along with church leaders and responsible politicians.
Sadly, there are extremist elements on the republican side
which have not been prepared to see any merit in the Orange
case. These people have not been prepared to recognise the
rights of Protestants who parade to and from a religious service
without hindrance.
Large sections of the press and media have gone along with
the republican viewpoint, and instead of spotlighting the
fact that freedom of worship, of assembly and of peaceful
parades to and from church is a basic civil right, they have
swallowed Sinn Fein-I.R.A. propaganda which seeks to portray
Orangemen as bigots wanting to trample over the rights of
their neighbours.
One would have hoped that after the deplorable and nauseating
scenes along the Garvaghy Road last year that every responsible
citizen of Northern Ireland, along with all those in positions
of influence and responsibility would have been doing their
utmost to calm things and to allow a much needed healing process
to take place.
But no, instead there are headlines six months in advance
calculated to raise political temperatures, and extremist
politicians are interviewed who will make predictable statements.
It's indefensible, and it is totally wrong, bearing in mind
what Northern Ireland, and especially Mid-Ulster has experienced
in recent times through terrorism and civil strife.
It is to be hoped that wiser counsels will prevail and that
all sections of the media will play its full part in keeping
things calm and not fanning the flames in an already volatile
situation.
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