Many Protestants feel respect for law may be disadvantage - bishop

THE retiring Church of Ireland Bishop of Down and Dromore, the Rt Rev Gordon McMullan has warned that many Northern Protestants…

THE retiring Church of Ireland Bishop of Down and Dromore, the Rt Rev Gordon McMullan has warned that many Northern Protestants feel that they, as law abiding people, are being given less attention than people who support or engage in violence.

Speaking on RTE yesterday, Bishop McMullan said for many Protestants "there is the feeling that their preparedness to uphold and support law and order is in danger of being used to their disadvantage, and that it is the folk who engage in preparation for violence or actually carry out violent actions who are deemed to be the ones who have to be satisfied".

While this feeling was not general, "it is a view held perhaps by an increasing number as they become somewhat frustrated at the constant references by some people of wanting peace but at the same time providing and preparing large dumps of explosives", he said.