Usually I prefer to
stand outside of the establishment and piss through their letterbox rather than
attempt to change it from within. That’s
the excuse I’ve allowed myself to wheel out whenever an election has come
around and I’ve been apathetic towards the candidates. All too often it’s made easy for me; after
all, for the most part they’re lying self-serving bastards. But there’s a bigger picture scenario taking place in Northern
Ireland at the moment and more
amazingly, the smell of change in the air.
Those of you unaware
with the Democratic Unionist Party might be fooled into thinking that they’re
somewhat right of the Conservatives and a little left from UKIP but there's a
black, vindictive, cancerous lie in their name.
They are by no means democratic. The
DUP believe strongly in equality, liberty, tolerance and understanding when it
comes to them but for everyone else
they are more than happy to tear up your civil rights and march across them to
get what they deem to be their God-given (creationist) rights. Over the years their targets have
changed. First it was the Irish
Catholics of Northern Ireland. When the
Belfast Agreement was signed it became Immigrants and now Gay, Lesbian and
Transgender couples.
Aside from their
efforts to push a “Conscience Clause” effectively making it perfectly legal for
them to discriminate against whoever they want under the banner of “religious
freedom”, they’ve said they would only enter into a coalition if they had a
law passed guaranteeing their right to march (who gives a fuck about the people made captive in their homes until the DUP have finished?!). They have placed a blood donor ban on
gay men and have blocked not one, not two, not even three but FOUR fucking
attempts to bring Northern Ireland into the twenty-first century and pass a
bill allowing Gay Marriage. Everything
they have done over the past three plus decades have been in active pursuit of
a two tier system of equality (an oxymoron if ever there was one). It would look as follows: Top Tier – DUP and
its cronies – free to do and say whatever they want under the umbrella of “religious
freedom”, Bottom Tier – Everyone else – free to do whatever the DUP don’t find
objectionable.
All too often we don’t
vote because we don’t feel we have something to vote for but on May 7th I, and I hope you, will be voting
because you have something to vote against. The DUP is a vile stain on Northern
Ireland’s landscape. It’s an unwelcome, and unwanted reminder of
how things used to be. They’re fighting to keep everyone that isn’t
them as second class citizens. They have
been allowed to do this for so long because the majority in Northern
Ireland were lazy or
disenfranchised and for my part in passively retarding change in this country
by doing nothing I’m sorry. But enough
is enough, equality doesn’t exist if it is not for everyone. Democracy is a two-way street and these nasty
bastards have had it their own way for far too long. My name has been dirtied by proxy. They represent Northern
Ireland, they (in theory) represent me and
yet you don’t speak for me. I’m a
heterosexual, white, male. I’m part of
the “privileged” of society. I’m also
non-religious (dead Catholic) and intolerant towards intolerance. If you do not speak for me, I will not vote for
you. Together as a Nation we can remove
the DUP from their seat or power and reinstate a degree of humanity to Northern
Ireland. We got Jim Wells out, time for the rest of them.
