Take Two Minutes
In the aftermath of the First World War was born Remembrance Sunday when the monarch leads the country in the Act of Remembrance to honour those who gave their lives so that others might live in peace. Today November 11th at 11am the nation will stop for two minutes to mark the 91st anniversary of the signing of the Armistice. When you pause to remember, think not just of those who gave their lives in the two World Wars and subsequent conflicts but think also of those who have given their lives more recently in Afghanistan and Iraq and especially of the loved ones they have left behind. When the photographs in newspapers and the images on television have faded and for most of us will only be a distant memory for those families they will remain the fresh faced young men who went away to foreign fields in the fight against terrorism and in support of the democracy we all too readily take for granted. We can all support those families very simply REMEMBER THEM WITH PRIDE.


District Policing Partnerships
As the wrangling goes on at Stormont over the devolution of policing and justice and questions are asked of our political leaders about the way forward another question or indeed questions are being asked at community level. What relevance do the District Policing Partnerships have? What value do they bring to the debate on policing at community level? Are they value for money or could the resources spent on these DPP’s be put to better use? Community representatives have been encouraged at all levels to attend meetings in public, to pose questions to the local police commanders and to participate in the debate about local policing plans. For many who have taken up the challenge both in terms of participation at meetings and in attempts to become involved directly in the process there has been bitter disappointment as questions asked are often treated as irrelevant as suggestions put forward as priority issues are ignored and to add insult to injury on numerous occasions our political representatives have not even turned up for meetings. It is no surprise then that at the last meeting in public of the North Belfast DPP sub group NO unionist politician was in attendance and apparently at the most recent meeting with the PSNI to discuss the policing plan again no unionist politician was in attendance. This is hardly a demonstration of confidence in the process. So what is the relevance of the DPP’s, perhaps some of those unionist politicians who have not attended meetings recently could share their opinion on this issue through the Shankill Mirror.


Policing and Justice
The Serious Organised Crime Agency has frozen the assets of leading republican Sean Hughes in South Armagh. The assets frozen include eight houses in South Armagh, an apartment in South Belfast, the proceeds of three other houses in South Armagh and a number of bank accounts. Following this Conor Murphy MP for Newry and Armagh and a Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive has publicly stated that there is no justification for the targeting of Mr Hughes. How can the people of Northern Ireland have any confidence in a political system in which a Government Minister openly criticises the process of law and order?