Re-reading to remember...

 I've begun re-reading the Derry portion of APoS and had forgotten some things I put into it. There was also some repetition and actions that didn't quite make sense, but I'm only making notes, right now. Re-familiarizing myself with the story so I can be sure to work it out in the proper timeline. I know there is a lot more to add and re-arrange.

I'm up to 1969, when the People's Democracy march takes place. It was a group of college students walking from Belfast to Derry to highlight the need for political and societal reform. Brendan's brother, Eamonn, joins them and Brendan is sure something will go wrong. Which it does...did...brutally.

In truth, this is when The Troubles really began, not the Battle of Bogside, 8 months later. The Protestant response to a group of peaceful marchers showed the world how vicious things have become in Northern Ireland, and those in power refused to learn from their mistakes. Instead, they continued to repeat them. Over and over, until London had to send in troops to quell the growing chaos. Which, eventually, made things worse. But that is normally London's way.

Unfortunately, that's how people in power work. Still work. Take the stupid, blundering, arrogant path, every time. The Republican Party, here, has shown they will do anything to gain and maintain power, no matter how illegal or evil it might be, and can't see they've already lost. They honestly think acting like third-rate fascist thugs will get them what they want when all that does is anger people...and that anger leads to violence...as it did in Northern Ireland.

If Stormount (the NI center of government) had actually followed through with some reforms, none of this would have happened. All Catholics wanted was decent homes and good jobs to feed their families. Protestants could have quelled support for the more radical demands if they'd just made sure those two things were made right.

But the Protestants, goaded by Ian Paisley, who was in thrall to the devil, howled at even those minimal changes in the power structure and what happened? Thirty years of murder, destruction and an explosion of the criminal elements on both sides of the divide...and they still wound up giving Catholics pretty much what they had wanted, at the beginning. It was so damned stupid on all parts.

When men become mad dogs, there is nothing you can do but isolate them till they die off...and that's pretty much how it worked.