AOH member Vic Sackett’s take on Hart’s statement to the Irish National Caucus

Posted by Jim on October 30, 2014

In line with traditional Irish Republican principles in 1984 Gary Hart said; “All electoral initiatives up until that point had failed because they have not taken into account the democratic wishes of the people of Ireland as a whole. The best way, and in fact, the only way to establish a lasting peace is within a democratic All-Ireland context”.

Last week he is quoted as saying “My views, expressed three decades ago, emphasized the democratic decision-making process in determining the future of Northern Ireland: that is, they should be free to decide their political affiliation and destiny according to majority will”.

In this last statement Hart is trying to cleverly re-interpret for us his 1984 statement which is very clear in its intention.
To now say “they should be free to decide their political affiliation and destiny according to majority will”, subtly transposes the object of the democratic decision making process from  Ireland as a whole  to the  political affiliation  of the six counties. He is now restricting the “democratic decision-making process  to within the gerrymandered artificial border which was determined by the British to guarantee a British outcome in any future poll. This is a complete reversal of his 1984 statements.

He is now defending the British partition which suppressed then and still suppresses now, the 32 county republic established by majority-will as a result of the ALL-Ireland British administered elections of 1918.

Senator Hart was correct in 1984 in advocating true democracy for all of Ireland because the British partition of Ireland had negated the Irish democratic will. Although he is still using the terms “democracy” and “majority will” he is clearly siding with the British Empire’s re-definition of democracy which has since 1998 become politically correct given the support of Irish leaders who once sat in republican seats but now sit in unionist seats.

The lesson here is that majority-will is acceptable when the outcome is favorable to the British but not acceptable when the outcome is favorable to the Irish.

What has not changed since 1984 however, is “The best way, and in fact, the only way to establish a lasting peace is within a democratic All-Ireland context”, which was also one of the suggestions of the 1984 New Ireland Forum for peace.

Patrick Pearse said it another way; “Ireland unfree will never be at peace”.

What Ireland needs now in order to establish a lasting peace in a true democratic 32 county republic is for Americans to support Hart’s 1984 traditional definition of democracy not the gerrymandered British colonial definition.

 

 
In line with traditional Irish Republican principles in 1984 Gary Hart said; “All electoral initiatives up until that point had failed because they have not taken into account the democratic wishes of the people of Ireland as a whole. The best way, and in fact, the only way to establish a lasting peace is within a democratic All-Ireland context”.

Last week he is quoted as saying “My views, expressed three decades ago, emphasized the democratic decision-making process in determining the future of Northern Ireland: that is, they should be free to decide their political affiliation and destiny according to majority will”.

In this last statement Hart is trying to cleverly re-interpret for us his 1984 statement which is very clear in its intention.
To now say “they should be free to decide their political affiliation and destiny according to majority will”, subtly transposes the object of the democratic decision making process from  Ireland as a whole  to the  political affiliation  of the six counties. He is now restricting the “democratic decision-making process  to within the gerrymandered artificial border which was determined by the British to guarantee a British outcome in any future poll. This is a complete reversal of his 1984 statements.

He is now defending the British partition which suppressed then and still suppresses now, the 32 county republic established by majority-will as a result of the ALL-Ireland British administered elections of 1918.

Senator Hart was correct in 1984 in advocating true democracy for all of Ireland because the British partition of Ireland had negated the Irish democratic will. Although he is still using the terms “democracy” and “majority will” he is clearly siding with the British Empire’s re-definition of democracy which has since 1998 become politically correct given the support of Irish leaders who once sat in republican seats but now sit in unionist seats.

The lesson here is that majority-will is acceptable when the outcome is favorable to the British but not acceptable when the outcome is favorable to the Irish.

What has not changed since 1984 however, is “The best way, and in fact, the only way to establish a lasting peace is within a democratic All-Ireland context”, which was also one of the suggestions of the 1984 New Ireland Forum for peace.

Patrick Pearse said it another way; “Ireland unfree will never be at peace”.

What Ireland needs now in order to establish a lasting peace in a true democratic 32 county republic is for Americans to support Hart’s 1984 traditional definition of democracy not the gerrymandered British colonial definition.

Vic Sackett