Betty Williams: Contagious Courage

BY THE 1970s, THE TENSION IN NORTHERN IRELAND

REACHED AN ALL-TIME HIGH.

CATHOLICS, PROTESTING FOR BETTER JOBS, DECENT HOUSING,

AND EQUAL VOTING RIGHTS,

WERE OPPOSED BY PROTESTANT-CONTROLLED SPECIAL POLICE,

WHO USED BRUTAL FORCE.

THE BRITISH ARMY TOOK OVER AND MOVED IN

AT THE URGING OF SOME MEMBERS OF THE PROTESTANT MAJORITY.

FOR THE LARGE CATHOLIC MINORITY, THIS MILITARY OCCUPATION

SERVED ONLY TO INCREASE SUPPORT FOR THE DREAM OF A UNITED IRELAND,

AND FOR THE VIOLENT, PROVISIONAL I.R.A.

HEAVILY-ARMED PROTESTANT MILITIA GROUPS RESPONDED

WITH FULL FORCE, AND IN KIND.

NORTHERN IRELAND WAS ON THE EDGE OF CIVIL WAR.

IT COULD COME TO CIVIL WAR, AND MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT,

WE AS PROTESTANTS AND LOYALISTS WILL FIGHT,

AND WE WILL WIN.

IN THE NORTHERN IRELAND CITY OF LONDONDERRY,

MANY RESENTED THE BRITISH PRESENCE,

WHICH BROUGHT WITH IT AN INCREASE IN THE SECTARIAN VIOLENCE.

ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 30TH, 1972,

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE MARCHED TO PROTEST A NEW POLICY OF INTERNMENT,

A CHANGE IN LAW THAT ALLOWED THE POLICE TO IMPRISON AND HOLD PEOPLE--

IN PRACTICE, ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY CATHOLICS--

INDEFINITELY AND WITHOUT CHARGE.

THE PROTEST, WHICH THE AUTHORITIES DECLARED TO BE ILLEGAL, WAS MASSIVE.

WHEN THE PROTEST MARCH STARTED TO WIND ITS WAY PAST A MILITARY OUTPOST,

SOME PEOPLE BEGAN TO APPROACH THE POLICE BARRICADES IN ANGER.

WATER CANNONS AND TEAR GAS WERE USED TO DISPERSE THE CROWD.

WHEN MOST OF THE PROTESTERS WERE GONE,

FOUR NEW UNITS WERE SENT IN TO THE BOGSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ON AN ARREST MISSION...

AND THEY OPENED FIRE.

IN TOTAL, THE ARMY FIRED 108 ROUNDS

OF LIVE AMMUNITION THAT DAY.

- -

14 PEOPLE WERE KILLED

AND MANY MORE WERE INJURED.

YOU'RE QUITE SURE THAT NOTHING WAS FIRED AT THEM FIRST.

THERE WAS NOTHING FIRED AT THEM. I'M ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN OF THAT.

I CAN SPEAK OF THIS WITHOUT ANY DIFFICULTY WHATSOEVER

BECAUSE I WAS THERE. I WAS JUST STANDING AT THE FLATS

WHEN THE SOLDIERS MOVED IN, FIRST OF ALL,

AND THERE WAS NOTHING FIRED AT THEM,

POSITIVELY NOTHING FIRED AT THEM WHATSOEVER.

THERE WEREN'T EVEN STONES THROWN.

PEOPLE RAN IN ALL DIRECTIONS AND THEY OPENED FIRE.

MOST PEOPLE HAD THEIR BACKS TO THEM WHEN THEY OPENED FIRE AT THE TIME.

MY INFORMATION AT THE MOMENT,

AND IT IS VERY, ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INCIDENT,

IS THAT THE PARA BATTALION FIRED THREE ROUNDS ALL TOGETHER.

AFTER, THEY HAD SOMETHING BETWEEN 10 AND 20 FIRED AT THEM

FROM THE AREA OF THE ROSSVILLE FLATS, OVER THERE.

THEY FIRED THREE ROUNDS ONLY.

MY INFORMATION AT THE MOMENT--

I BELIEVE THERE ARE MORE THAN THREE DEAD.

I CERTAINLY-- I HAVE SEEN THREE DEAD MYSELF.

WELL, THEY MAY WELL NOT HAVE BEEN KILLED BY OUR SOLDIERS.

THE REACTION IN BELFAST TO THE SHOOTING WAS QUICK.

LAST NIGHT, FIRES WERE RAGING IN THE ANDERSONSTOWN AREA,

AND FOR SOME TIME, THE FIRE BRIGADE WAS UNABLE TO MOVE IN.

THIS MORNING IN CATHOLIC AREAS, BLACK FLAGS WERE OUT

AND FEELINGS WERE NO LESS BITTER THAN IN LONDONDERRY.

FLEETS OF TRUCKS AND CARS WERE HIJACKED IN ANDERSONSTOWN

AT THE FALLS AREA, DRIVEN AWAY,

AND THEN BURNED TO PROVIDE BARRICADES.

AFTER WARNINGS OF RETALIATION BY THE PROVISIONAL I.R.A.

FOR YESTERDAY'S SHOOTINGS,

TROOPS WERE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS.

THE PEOPLE OF THE BOGSIDE WERE STILL STUNNED BY THE SHOOTINGS.

THEY WALKED ABOUT AND STOOD IN GROUPS, TALKING ABOUT THE TRAGEDY.

IT WAS A CRISP, SUNNY DAY,

JUST LIKE IT WAS ON THE DAY THEY'VE CALLED HERE "BLOODY SUNDAY."

I WAS AFRAID.

WHEN I LOOK BACK ON IT NOW, IF I'M TELLIN' YOU THE TRUTH,

I'D BE OUT DOIN' ME SHOPPING. MAYBE YOU'D BE STANDING

AT THE GREEN GROCERY END OF THE STORE,

AND YOU'D MEET SOMEBODY, ANOTHER WOMAN YOU KNEW,

AND YOU BOTH HAD YOUR PROBLEMS, BUT THEY'D ALWAYS BE IN A WHISPER.

"WASN'T THAT TERRIBLE WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?"

"GOD, DID YOU KNOW HIM?" IT WAS SORT OF PER WOMAN.

YOU KNOW YOU'D HEAR THIS KIND OF TALK AMONG THE WOMEN.

SO I KNEW THAT ANY FEMALES OF THE SPECIES THAT I KNEW

WERE VERY ANTI WHAT WAS GOING ON,

BUT THEY WERE TERRIFIED TO SAY ANYTHING.

THERE WASN'T A MOTHER IN NORTHERN IRELAND THAT WASN'T AFRAID,

BECAUSE IT WASN'T-- YOU KNOW, YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER...

YOU'D WALK OUT ONE DAY AND WHAT YOU WERE WALKING INTO.

SO I KNOW WHY THE WOMEN WERE WHISPERING.

I WAS ONE OF THEM.

1972 WAS A YEAR FULL OF ANGER.

WITH SHOOTINGS, BOMBINGS, AND CIVILIANS DYING

EVERY SINGLE WEEK, NO ONE WAS SAFE

FROM THE SECTARIAN VIOLENCE.

I REMEMBER A BOMB BLAST WHERE THE WINDOW BLEW OUT.

I JUMPED UP. WELL, I HAD TO GO TO THE DOCTOR THE NEXT DAY,

'CAUSE I COULDN'T COPE WITH THE PAIN,

BUT THAT'S WHERE ALL MY INJURIES CAME FROM.

LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT HAPPENED TO.

YET ANOTHER BOMB BLAST OCCURRED IN BELFAST TODAY,

AND AN ELDERLY WOMAN WAS CAUGHT AND TRAPPED IN THE RUBBLE.

IT TOOK AN HOUR AND A HALF TO GET HER OUT.

THEN THERE WAS A SECOND SCARE. THERE WAS A CRASH

AND EVERYONE THOUGHT THAT THE WHOLE PLACE WAS COMING DOWN.

IT WAS A TENSE AND NERVOUS SCENE IN THIS AREA OF BELFAST.

AND TONIGHT, THE AUTHORITIES HAVE LITTLE DOUBT

THAT MOST, IF NOT ALL OF TODAY'S VIOLENCE,

WAS ORGANIZED BY THE ILLEGAL PROTESTANT ULSTER VOLUNTEER FORCE.

MY COUSIN DANNY...

LOVELY LAD GOIN' TO SCHOOL. JUST...BEAUTIFUL BOY,

DANNY DUNN.

AND HE WAS WALKING HOME WHEN THEY RIDDLED HIM TO DEATH

WITH SIGN OF THE CROSS. JUST--

I'M WAITING ON HIM AND WHEN MY AUNTIE BRADY OPENED THE DOOR, HE FELL IN TO HER ARMS.

BRADY WAS NEVER THE SAME AFTER THAT.

SHE DIED THAT DAY, YA KNOW?

TERRIBLE.

IN EAST BELFAST, A MANAGER OF A LOCAL BAR

WAS SHOT IN THE DOOR OF HIS FATHER'S HOUSE.

HE STAGGERED DOWN THE HALL INTO THE KITCHEN.

THE GUNMAN FOLLOWED HIM AND SHOT HIM AGAIN,

RIGHT TO THE HEAD. IT WAS THE THIRD SUCH

RELIGIOUSLY-MOTIVATED KILLING THIS MONTH.

AND MY BROTHER-IN-LAW, JIM MCGEE, HIS COUSIN...

WHO HAD A WEE FARM, HE WAS A POSTMAN.

AND THE I.R.A. HAD THIS VAN FULL OF EXPLOSIVE.

BUT A BRITISH ARMY FOOT PATROL HAD BEEN SET UP

SO THEY LEFT THE VAN AND RAN OFF,

AND JOE WAS DRIVING AROUND IN IT AND THE VAN EXPLODED.

SO, A CATHOLIC WAS KILLED BY CATHOLICS,

AND A CATHOLIC WAS KILLED BY PROTESTANTS.

DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE TO ANYBODY?

I DON'T THINK SO.

THERE WAS ANOTHER BOMB BLAST IN DOWNTOWN BELFAST TODAY.

THREE OTHER EXPLOSIONS ALSO OCCURRED

OUTSIDE OF THE MAIN DOWNTOWN AREA,

WHICH IS SURROUNDED BY A TWO-MILE LONG SECURITY FENCE.

THE MAJOR FIRE STARTED IN A TOY AND PRAM SHOP,

AND A SHIPPING OFFICE AND A MILK BAR WERE BADLY DAMAGED.

THE PROVISIONAL I.R.A. SAID THE ATTACK WAS IN RETALIATION

FOR THE RECENT CRACKDOWN BY BRITISH POLICE.

THE I.R.A. APPEARED TO BE TRYING TO PROVOKE A BACKLASH,

AND TODAY'S ACTIVITIES CERTAINLY HARDENED PROTESTANT OPINIONS.

I HAD BEEN TERRIFIED THAT MAYBE THEY WOULD HURT MY CHILDREN.

I HAD THE "MY" SYNDROME: WHAT ABOUT MY HOUSE, MY CAR, MY KIDS?

MAY 17TH, 1974.

TODAY'S BOMBING REPRESENTS THE BIGGEST, GREATEST LOSS OF LIFE

IN A SINGLE DAY, IN WHAT PEOPLE HERE ARE CALLING

THE "TROUBLES" IN IRELAND.

FOUR CAR BOMBS EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING,

KILLING 33 MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN,

AND INJURING ALMOST 300.

I SAW TERRIBLE THINGS IN NORTHERN IRELAND, YA KNOW?

THINGS THAT STAY WITH YOU FOREVER.

FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS,

THIS HAS BEEN THE FACE

THAT NORTHERN IRELAND

HAS PRESENTED TO THE WORLD.

PSYCHOLOGISTS ARE NOW

BEGINNING TO WONDER

JUST HOW MUCH THE YOUNGSTERS OF NORTHERN IRELAND

HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE NEAR-CONSTANT VIOLENCE.

IN THE SCHOOLS, TEACHERS HAVE NOTICED CHANGES

IN THE WORK THAT CHILDREN PRODUCE.

THE "WHAT DID YOU DO YESTERDAY?" ESSAY

IS NOW LIKELY TO INCLUDE A BOMB BLAST,

OR A SKIRMISH WITH BRITISH TROOPS, GUNSHOTS, OR GRENADES.

THE CHANGE IN BASIC BEHAVIOR HAS BEEN STARK.

THERE'S NOW EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT SOME CHILDREN

HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY AFFECTED

BY THE ONGOING CIVIL WAR.

THE EVIDENCE WAS PUBLISHED IN A RECENT ISSUE

OF THE "BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY."

PSYCHOLOGISTS CLAIM THAT THEIR JOBS HAVE BEEN MADE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT

BY THE PHYSICAL SEPARATION OF THE COMMUNITIES OF BELFAST.

IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE FOR CATHOLIC CHILDREN

TO GO THROUGH THEIR ENTIRE EARLY LIFE

WITHOUT EVER MEETING A PROTESTANT CHILD,

AND FOR PROTESTANT CHILDREN TO NEVER MEET A CATHOLIC CHILD.

THEIR COMMUNITIES ARE DIVIDED BY WALLS.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 10TH, 1976,

WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN BELFAST.

MANY PEOPLE WERE OUTDOORS, ENJOYING THE SUNSHINE.

AND THEN, TRAGEDY STRUCK.

OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT...

IN A TERRIBLE TURN OF EVENTS IN BELFAST TODAY,

IN WHICH THREE INNOCENT AND DEFENSELESS CHILDREN WERE RUN OVER.

A YOUNG PROVISIONAL I.R.A. MEMBER WAS BEING CHASED BY BRITISH TROOPS

WHO SHOT HIM AT THE WHEEL AND HIS CAR CAREENED

INTO A YOUNG FAMILY OUT FOR AN AFTERNOON WALK.

TWO CHILDREN ARE DEAD AT THE SCENE.

THE MOTHER AND BABY ARE IN CRITICAL CONDITION.

WELL, IT ALL HAPPENED ON FINAGHY ROAD NORTH,

AND MY HOUSE WAS OFF OF FINAGHY ROAD NORTH.

IT WAS VERY, VERY CLOSE TO THE SCENE.

VERY CLOSE.

JUST LITERALLY 'ROUND THE CORNER.

AND I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM MOMMY'S.

THAT WAS A TRIP I DID DAILY.

IT COULD'VE BEEN ME.

FEEL PRETTY TERRIBLE. WE WENT DOWN THIS MORNING TO THE MORGUE