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There are signs that the British Government has finally awakened
to the need to clamp down on binge drinking and to try and
stem the tide of violence and crime which has followed the
decision to allow round-the-clock drinking.
Apparently the Government took the view that the United Kingdom
could adopt the 'civilised' cafe-type drinking of continental
countries, and this would influence people in this country
to do likewise.
Alas, just a short time since the experiment was launched,
the streets of most large British cities and towns have witnessed
scenes of mayhem at weekends, as people fuelled with alcohol
have gone on the rampage.
Not even small market towns and large villages have escaped
this new tide of violence. Many innocent people going about
their lawful business, have been caught up in appalling violence.
Hospitals have been stretched to the limit dealing with victims
of drink-affected violence, and staff in the hospitals have
been attacked by people under the influence of alcohol.
Police have had to concentrate resources on dealing with
the violence, and more and more accidents have resulted from
excess alcohol.
Northern Ireland has not escaped the general deterioration
in conduct, due to alcohol, even if it is not nearly as bad
as the mainland.
But it is bad enough, and anyone taking a walk along Belfast's
'golden mile' on a Saturday night will have to be on the alert,
due to drunken revellers who can turn nasty.
Recently there was the deplorable incident in which a young
Lisburn man, walking with friends to the Central Station,
was seriously injured when he fell 30 feet from a pedestrian
way, as he tried to escape trouble.
The death of another young man, a completely innocent young
man who was killed outside a Belfast night club after enjoying
a night out with his brother at a St. Valentine's Day function
shocked Northern Ireland.
The young man, a dedicated Orangeman, who was described by
all who knew him as a model citizen, was yet another victim
of an increasingly violent society.
In the aftermath of this, and other recent serious incidents,
there have been calls for more police patrols, tougher sentencing
by the courts, and an end to the insidious 50-50 recruitment
to the PSNI which discriminates against Protestants.
These are all measures which could improve the situation.
It will also help when the Government begins to recognise
the rights of the 'silent majority' who have watched the pillars
which have held Northern Ireland society together being steadily
demolished.
The introduction of Sunday shopping, entertainment, sport,
and increased drinking hours, have been vital factors in the
decline in behaviour in Northern Ireland.
People must let their MPs and MLAs know their feelings, and
let them know that enough is enough. The so-called 'liberals'
and 'moderates' who have done so much to undermine the once
rock-solid Ulster Sunday must be faced and contested.
The Orange Order has opposed all the things which have undermined
Ulster's once envied Sunday atmosphere, and once again the
'Standard' reminds Orangemen of their obligations to do all
they can to observe Sunday as a special day.
They should attend public worship regularly, ensure that
their children attend Sunday School, and generally witness
for the Christian beliefs and principles the Orange Order
regards as its foundation.
Orangemen and their families should resist the temptation
to indulge in Sunday shopping, or to support by their presence
sporting and entertainment events.
The moral and spiritual decline in the once great United
Kingdom is there for all to see. That decline will only be
reversed when the people turn back to God, and make their
stand for all that is good.
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