That's my take on it... Men killing themselves for political beliefs is not offensive...it's what the politics represent to people. People support the politics as they believe they are fighting fir freedom. Others oppose it, find it offensive, as they see the politics as supporting terrorist acts. I agree the act is an ass...but I can't see it being disbanded unless the snp lose the next election.
Righto, I forgot, I only find it offensive because Bobby Sands is mentioned, you said so it must be true
Rather than stop them, I favour them being held in parade grounds/parks where they can be properly policed n stewarded and no-one can take offensive as it is not in "public"
You have told me what you think the song is about and you were wrong. I was offering you an "out" by saying it is because you don't like hearing the name Bobby Sands. It isn't like your argument has been consistent up to this point. May i remind you, you were offended by his image only two weeks ago. Quite the turnarond. It's time for you to concede the point.
As i have repeatedly been saying, and Dev through his evasiveness has proven, this is not the content of the song.
In lieu of any other response it was all could come up with. Unless after ten pages you want to offer something?
It's time for me to take my own advice and stop trying to make you understand why songs about Ireland are offensive to the vast majority of people in Scotland. You don't get it, i'll have to live with that. The other people (like the 5 charged) don't get it either so they can continue to offend people and take the consequences. I can live with that too.
Let's not pretend that this was in some way a lesson to the hard of thinking Republican. This was all about getting you to stand by your assertion. You have failed to do that.
I'm not sure there is any argument about the song, its meaning, its subject matter or its specific lyrics through which you will be convinced that anyone is justified in finding RoH offensive. If I understand you correctly, you appear to believe that because it refers to one specific event (or series of connected events if you prefer), there is no justification in placing that in any further historical context. Yes, it's about irish republicans jailed as terrorists, but how can you be offended by it, because it's not about or a justification for the terrorist offences themselves? To me that's far from a convincing argument, and that's as someone who does not find RoH offensive, on a personal level. If that's not your argument at all, then I'm afraid you've lost me
Well it looks like we'll never find out because nobody is prepared to offer any such argument. My contention is that it is not the content of the song that is offensive. Dev has claimed that it is and failed to back that position up. By layering it, as you have with the quote above, we are several steps away from the actual content of the song. If that is where the offence is found, then that is a different argument. I thought I had made my position pretty clear tbh. I'll have to do better in future. Just think how the legislation is being applied and try and apply it to a song delivered without offence and with no offensive content. Quite simply, there has to be a jump away from the content of the song before offence can be found. That ain't right in trying to affect a prosecution. I fear it is a fait accompli anyway. The Scotch Government have decided that any expression of Irish Republican politics is illegal and that shall be that. No matter where the argument falls down as it has here with RoH.
Nail on the head. My take is its an attempt to even it all up, so that they can claim Scotland is not a racist sectarian society. Songs like TBB and BMGH are so obviously and blatantly sectarian hate songs, that in order to even it up as, Christine Graham has said, they have to do verbal somersaults to get something offensive on the Irish side. St.Johnstone have banned flags and banners. Will be interesting to keep an eye on the next SEVCO game. I have a feeling that all of this anti Irish campaign is because someone in the know, realises that SEVCO will go under, maybe a few times, but there will be no recovery and in order to reduce potential civil unrest the Irishness of the diaspora this side of the water will be diluted.
According to you...and also according to you the song is not offensive in Scotland. I'm telling you it is, whether you believe me or not is entirely up to you.
It being a song merely about hunger strikers in 1981 is totally disingenuous. To say that is the only theme contained in or held within the song is quite untrue and chooses to ignore the historical context. Lets be clear, I have no disagreement with people who might want to sing such songs, that`s their right no matter how I might feel about it or indeed them, however what I find offensive is that they choose to do this where they have been both asked and told they can`t. What I find offensive is the bloody-minded , backward looking, irelands "freedom fight" obsessed people who turn up to use Celtic as a vehicle for their own victim mentality' This is Scotland. This is almost 2014. Move on.
Why were they on hunger strike? To reinstate their political prison status. Why were they political prisoners? As they were fighting for a republican cause by participating in criminal terrorist activity with pira or inla. So, the song is linked to republicanism...that many people in the UK find offensive ...reasons advised earlier. You can't look at the song in isolation... it's all connected.
Henrik Larrson liked a smoke. People sing about Henrik Larsson Singing about Henrik Larsson means you want kids to smoke.... Absurd huh?
Now, that is absurd... If you link that together then your mental... Are you saying it's the same for people who link roll if honour with republicanism? If so, I'm out chief...
