What a tragedy that it has taken the murder of Robert McCartney and the campaign for justice by his partner and sisters to force Sinn Féin to acknowledge some of the more unpalatable truths about its own organisation.
Party president Gerry Adams raised many issues which have challenged - and disturbed - the democratic consensus about the peace process at its ardfheis at the weekend. He had things to say about Sinn Féin and the IRA that should have been said long before now. And if these issues had been confronted five months, not to mention five years, ago, there would be no crisis in the peace process now.
It is disturbing to think that the current reality check was prompted only by the trouble caused to Sinn Féin by its own supporters, the McCartney family. After more than 10 years of the peace process, the mindset has changed only because there is a threat from within the republican movement. It is an eye-opener to democrats, North and South, that Robert McCartney could be murdered when he came to the aid of a friend, that 70 people in the bar could have witnessed the incident, that 12 people allegedly could have been responsible, that the bar was cleared of evidence in a clean-up operation and that the response of the IRA and Sinn Féin is only to suspend members. And still there are reports of intimidation.
Mr Adams told the ardfheis that Robert McCartney's murder was dreadful "because some republicans were involved in it". He left out the qualification that "it is alleged" which appeared in his script. He believed, he said, that the family's demand for justice and truth was a just demand. "Those responsible for the brutal killing of Robert McCartney should admit to what they did in a court of law." He was not letting this issue go, he added, until those who had sullied the republican cause were made to account for their actions.
Mr Adams went on to state that there was no place in republicanism for anyone involved in criminality. They wouldn't allow anyone "within republican ranks to criminalise this party or this struggle". But he went back to weasel words to say that "we refuse to criminalise those who break the law in pursuit of legitimate political objectives". Where is the line crossed?
He had weasel words also on the recognition of the Government of this State. "I do not believe that the army council (of the IRA) is the government of Ireland", he said. Did Sinn Féin accept the institutions of this State as the legitimate institutions of this State, he asked. "Of course we do. But we are critical of these institutions. We are entitled to be."
Mr Adams raised key issues at the ardfheis relating to the peace process moving forward. The first question in democratic terms, however, is whether Sinn Féin can convince the IRA to make the murderers of Robert McCartney amenable to the courts? Can those who intimidate be condemned also?