Madam, - Toby Joyce (September 3rd) is undoubtedly right that there is a need for "closure" for IRA victims. But there is perhaps a greater need that our whole society face up to the realities of the war that was fought in our country for 30 years.
When the guns fall silent it is very easy to develop myths of heroism about violence and sweep under the carpet the tragedy and sordid reality of routinely killing other human beings.
The first part of the South African Truth Commission was concerned with giving the all the victims of violence a voice and ultimately it allowed them to confront those who ordered or directly perpetrated the killing and torture.
The terms of the Good Friday Agreement probably preclude the sort of compulsions that were available to the South African Truth Commission to ensure that the perpetrators of the violence faced their victims with honesty. However, the Irish and British Governments should now still establish a commission of eminent people from these islands to provide a true accounting of the violence.
Such a commission should provide a public forum where victims can give testimony of their experiences. It should also challenge all those, British and Irish, "republican" and loyalist, responsible for military, paramilitary and pseudo-military operations to show the moral courage to account for their policy, strategy and operational actions and decisions.
A peace that is built on myths is a precarious one. It is time for us to face up to the dark side of our society that the war manifested. - Yours, etc.,
AIDAN McQUADE, Belhaven Terrace, Glasgow, Scotland.