Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Letter to the President on State visit to the UK

I'm a bit late writing to you about this, but I think it would be a very well received gesture if the President addressed the issue of Irish neutrality during WWII while he is in the UK. I believe he will say something about WWI while there, but our stance in WWII really appalled a section of the British public and is still a very significant issue to many ordinary Britons.
 
 
I'm not saying that the President should apologise for neutrality, but to many Britons our stance was seen as equivocal if not actually sympathetic to the Nazis -perhaps it was. I think it would be very well received though if we expressed regret at not having done more to oppose fascism in Europe -by peaceful or other means.
 
 
The truth is that because of our rather fraught relations with Britain and a degree of inherited prejudice, we chose to equivocate about continental fascism, rather than help Britain in an hour of need. It is a lasting shame on Ireland that needs to be addressed some day.
 
 
Just as with 1916 in ireland, WWII has an aura of origin about it for modern day Britain and our part is seen to have been on the wrong side of it. This hardens the hearts of many Britons against Ireland even today, and I would like to see the President using this opportunity to have a go at softening them.
 
 
One meaningful sentence on this, could do a lot.
 
 
It would be especially fitting, as the Queen herself is of that generation, and of that struggle.
sincerely

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