Sir, - Fanatics cannot be convinced, they can only be converted - and the Irish are fanatics when it comes to politics (and religion). The recent trend seems to be towards chic unionism. We can see this with P. De Rossa and Conor Cruise O'Brien. Suddenly people have discovered a new buzz word: "democracy". The majority of the population of, Northern Ireland are unionist, ergo any attempt to in any way lessen the Union is "undemocratic".
Sinn Fein will also talk about "democracy". The difference being that, for them, the democratic unit should be the entire island of Ireland. The majority of the population of the island of Ireland are nationalist, ergo anything which prevents the establishment of a 32 county Republic is "undemocratic".
The problem in Ireland is simply that people have forgotten that democracy is not the "dictatorship of the majority". Democracy is rule by will of the people - all the people. The wishes of the majority carry more weight than those of the minority simply because the represent, a larger slice of the popular will. It can never be democratic to ignore the wishes of the minority. The pluralistic nature of true democracy seemed to be gaining widespread acceptance. We no longer outlaw homosexuality, despite it being an issue which affects only a "minority", and to which the majority religion is hostile.
Why can people not accept that neither a united 32 county Republic nor a Northern Ireland which is exclusively British and treats the Republic as a foreign country, can, be viewed as being democratic? Paisley unwittingly made the point about democracy not being the equivalent of the "dictatorship of the majority", when he moaned that there now existed a situation in which "Ulster would be pushed into a united Ireland as soon as there is a majority of even one in favour of it".
Democracy is the answer to the problems of Northern Ireland; but true democracy, not the "dictatorship of the majority". - Yours, etc.,
University of East Anglia,
Norwich.