Sir - Rev Dr G.B.G. McConnell (July 31st) sounds entirely reasonable in his declaration that he feels "justified. . .in challenging those who continue to denounce Northern Ireland in a wholesale manner on grounds of institutionalised religious discrimination". He challenges the critics to "explain in detail the ways in which they are denied full citizenship in the following important spheres: political franchise (both local and parliamentary); national health and the `welfare state' generally; housing under the housing executive; employment, with the present fair employment legislation; policing in regard to selection of candidates and opportunities for promotion; education. . ." His remarks demonstrate nicely the self-deluding, even twofaced nature of the thinking of many in his community. Many white people in the US answer the complaints of American blacks with the same challenge, and their challenge is also false and disingenuous.
Dr McConnell's challenge is, of course, loaded toward one conclusion. An apparent equality of citizenship can nowadays be demonstrated to exist to some meaningful degree, especially with regard to the carefully defined terms set out by him. Naturally, what is missing from his challenge is some acknowledgment or recognition of the fact that this equality (to the degree that it does exist) has been brought about as a result of 30 years of change imposed by successive British governments. The British government was forced to make those changes by a literal explosion of popular discontent among the disaffected minority. The reforms were carried out in the face of bitter opposition from leading unionist/loyalist politicians, rather than with their help or even co-operation. To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, those who make peaceful evolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
It is not really good enough, therefore, for Dr McConnell to attempt to point up the superficial equality that has been won without any reference to where it came from, as if it had always existed. The tone of his letter seems to ask "what's all the fuss about"? It is probably closer to the truth to say that the movement toward equality has been met more with silent, sullen resentment by the majority of people, but now they have decided to make the best of it.
So, although it is nice to know that he "has long and happy experience of our country both North and South", it would have been much more interesting to see Dr McConnell describe the efforts and sacrifices that he and the members of his congregation made to bring about the gains that have been made. Until then, the rest of us should shake off any naivety about the attitudes and beliefs of many among the majority in the North. It may be reasonable to take at face value the simple words quoted by Nuala O'Faolain (The Irish Times, April 13th) from a conversation in which "a Catholic woman who has never been near a parade or a protest - she would be more at home in a villa in Tuscany - said to me: `They hate Catholics. That's the one thing you must understand about this place. They hate us.' " - Yours, etc., John Stafford,
Newton, Massachusetts, USA.