Justice or is it?
Almost eleven years on from the day the town of Omagh was torn apart and 29 people were slaughtered a landmark ruling has been handed down by Mr Justice Morgan in a judgement that the case was proved against four of the five identified in court. Whilst a civil decision does not have the same weight as a criminal conviction it is a least a final recognition for the tenacity of the families who have resolutely refused to give up in the pursuit of those who robbed them of their loved ones. Whilst it was good to see those believed to be behind the atrocity brought to book, the British and Irish governments should hang their collective heads in shame that they have failed to secure a criminal conviction.
Local heroes
In this issue of the Shankill Mirror we report on the funeral service for Corporal Sean Binnie who was killed in Afghanistan. Within weeks of his death another young Ulsterman was killed and he will be buried within the next few days. The son of local Councillor Bob Stoker is thankfully recovering well from his wounds and reports have just been released of a young man from Potavogie who was seriously injured in a bomb blast within the last few days. On Saturday June 20th Ranger Andrew Allen, a member of 1 Royal Irish, who was badly injured is taking part in a sponsored event along the Shankill Road to raise much needed funds for the SSAFA Forces Help Rehabilitation home that helped him so much. As we watched the D Day veterans remember their fallen comrades as they fought for every grain of sand on the beaches of Normandy it is a timely reminder for us all of the sacrifice given by so many for the democratic rights and the democracy that we all too often take for granted. Why not take a few minutes out of your time and make a point of coming onto the Shankill Road on June 20th to cheer on this brave young man and support those who supported him.
Parades
It is that time of the year again and we have two parades coming up the Tour of the North and the Whiterock within a week of each other and these parades will get the parading season off to a great start. The parades are a celebration of the rich history and culture of our community so come out and enjoy them but remember that there are those within our society who would want to stop or curtail this celebration of our culture. Please do nothing that would give those who would oppose our parades any reason to complain.
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