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The onslaught on Northern Ireland's British identity continues
unabated, both overtly and covertly.
It is an insidious campaign undertaken on different fronts,
but with one common objective - the ultimate incorporation
of the Province in an all-Ireland in which British, Protestant,
Orange, and Unionist culture and identity would be swamped
and eventually eradicated.
It is the traditional enemies of Protestantism and Unionism
- Irish nationalism and republicanism - which is spearheading
this attack on Northern Ireland's loyal ethos. But it is being
aided and abetted by Government policies which can only have
one outcome - a weakening of Northern Ireland's position within
the United Kingdom.
The Anglo-Irish Agreement and the Belfast Agreement contain
all sorts of hidden dangers to the Ulster Protestant people,
and the various aspects of this are being carried out by those
whose mission it is to undermine the British ethos and subvert
the Protestants from their traditional British allegiance,
transferring this to Irish nationalism.
The Orange Order has long been recognised by those seeking
Ulster's detachment from the Kingdom and into a united Ireland
as their greatest obstacle to progress in this programme.
The weakening of Orangeism and its transformation from being
a mighty organisation wielding influence to that of a 'cultural'
body greatly reduced in strength and consequently influence,
has been the cornerstone of the policies implemented by these
enemies of true Ulster loyalism.
The establishment of the Parades Commission and its unfair
ruling on Orange parades in Portadown, Ormeau Road, Dunloy
and other places, is one obvious manifestation of this policy.
There are others, of course, as this campaign against Ulster
is being waged on many fronts. The move towards 'Irishness'
as opposed to Britishness is evidenced by the move to join
the tourist organisations of the two countries, and by the
increasing influence that the Gardai and other Southern institutions
have on Ulster society.
Ulster people must be awakened as to what is going on and
all who treasure their British identity and citizenship work
unceasingly - peacefully and legitimately - towards the preservation
of Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom.
Ulster is British as of right, and that must always be emphasised
by people who have influence when making speeches or seeking
to influence people. Recently the Prince of Wales rightly
spelled out to Argentina that it could not hope to take over
the Falkland islands.
Britain also spelled out its defence of Gibraltar in remaining
British some months ago when Spain was exerting political
pressure.
These are small communities but Britain quite rightly refuses
to bow to pressure from giant neighbours in attempts to take
them over. Unionists generally must guard unceasingly against
the insidious propaganda and attempts to subvert their British
allegiance.
The Orange Institution has always been in the forefront of
the struggle to keep Ulster British. That will continue to
be one of its main twin roles - defence of Protestantism is
the other - and brethren must work unceasingly in this cause,
and also seek to recruit many of their co-religionists who
are apathetic and do not realise the extent of the campaign
being waged against loyal Ulster and its people.
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