Sir, - Paul Hill (July 11th), admirably demonstrates the victim culture which is at the root of many of our problems in Northern Ireland. It is important to understand this, because at no time could it be proved that the ghettos of Belfast contained the highest unemployment rates or the worst housing conditions in Western Europe. Unemployment and poor housing were as bad in Dublin, for example, from the 1920s to the 80s, just to select one obvious example.
I also was born in a "Catholic" ghetto, but in the years before the Troubles when I was a child, Protestants lived nearby and shared the same conditions as ourselves. This situation encouraged many working class people (both Protestant and Catholic), to support parties of the Left, leaving less space for the sectarianism which dominates politics today. As a result, instead of blaming Protestants for their predicament as Paul Hill, Sinn FΘin, and their neo-nationalist supporters in the smaller parties do, many people in the ghettos blamed their landlords and employers.
In recent times the landlords (some of whom were Catholics), have been replaced by the efficient and even-handed N.I. Housing Executive, and the scourge of unemployment has been considerably diminished, backed by a social welfare system which equals the best in the EU.
In Paul Hill's time it was common for men to have to emigrate to England and other places in search of work because it was impossible to survive on the dole, but times have changed for the better. It may well be, however, that in order to improve the quality of life, that apologies are required, (as suggested by Des Keenan, Irish Times July 3rd), but in a more effective manner than that contained in Mr Hill's letter.
Catholics who have in the past supported violence against Protestants should apologise to them, and their leaders should denounce sectarianism in a forceful manner. The unionist parties for their part, should apologise to Catholics for making no real effort to produce policies which they could support.
Above all, the national parties should apologise to all the people of Northern Ireland for leaving them at the mercy of sectarian politics for most of the last century.
Victim culture, like old-time unionist ascendancy attitudes, merely exacerbates our problems. Northern Ireland was never a utopia for anyone, but it never resembled the hell on Earth experienced by millions all over the world today in the 21th century. - Yours, etc.,
Seβn Kearney, Glantane Drive, Belfast.