By John Burton, Chairman, California Democratic Party
August 27, 2009
The struggle for a united Ireland has gone on for far too long but now the Irish in America once again have a chance to use our influence to support a peaceful solution to this long-running issue.
Our task now is to lobby our elected officials and government so that they, in turn, can influence governments across the world to support a united Ireland.
This is an issue that concerns all people, regardless of background. We now have an opportunity to seize the high moral ground and respect the wishes of the Irish people. It is time for a new approach to be adopted.
The Irish unification resolution, initiated by the Irish American Democratic Club in San Francisco and recently passed by the California Democratic Party is only the beginning.
United States’ positive influence in Ireland
This is not the first time that the United States is influencing Ireland in a positive way. The United States has played a supportive role in Ireland for more than 200 years. For example, Wolfe Tone’s call for “the abolition of bigotry in religion and politics, and the equal distribution of the rights of men through all sects and denominations of Irishmen” was clearly influenced by Thomas Paine’s “The Rights of Man” and also by the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
More recently, the 1960s civil rights movement in the north of Ireland was modeled on the American civil rights movement. It relied on marches, pickets and sit-ins to achieve Catholic parity of esteem with Protestants. The California Democratic Party supported the adoption of the MacBride Principles to encourage the parity of esteem goal from the 1980s.
People like state Senator Tom Hayden worked hard on the MacBride Principles. But Gov. George Deukmejian in 1989 and Gov. Pete Wilson in 1994 vetoed his measures. Nevertheless, our tenacity paid off in 1999 when Democratic Gov. Gray Davis signed into law a bill supporting the MacBride Principles. This required the Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) and the State Teachers’ Retirement System (STRS) to annually investigate the extent to which U.S. corporations operating in the north of Ireland adhered to the MacBride Principles.
There are differences between MacBride and this campaign, of course. With MacBride, the state of California could refuse to invest money in companies which did not adhere to fair employment principles in their operations in the north of Ireland. The current Unite Ireland campaign is about using our political and moral influence to do all we can to persuade the Unionist community (those who want to remain part of Britain) in Ireland that a united Ireland benefits everyone.
Reasons for a united Ireland
The tangible benefits of a united Ireland are self-evident, a couple of which I will touch on here. We should first remind ourselves of the fact that that the Anglo-Irish agreement of 1921 was signed under the threat of “terrible and immediate war” that the British Prime Minister promised the Irish negotiators. The subsequent experiment by Britain to prop up a sectarian state in the northeast of Ireland has utterly failed.
The integration of Ireland would establish a strong foundation for peace and long-term prosperity. Partition hinders the economic development of both parts of the island of Ireland.
And Britain has stated that it has no selfish or strategic interest in the north of Ireland. Because Britain has indicated that it does want the north of Ireland as part of Britain, we can extend the hand of friendship to our brothers and sisters in the Unionist community and demonstrate the benefits of joining up with a community that would value their input within a united Ireland.
We know that the Good Friday Agreement has helped to reduce the social border between the north and the south of Ireland, with a great deal more movement and interaction across the border. Now it’s time to discuss the end of the legal border between both.
Religious minorities will be protected in a united Ireland
Since the foundation of the Irish state, there has been little evidence that Protestants would be at risk in a united Ireland. We need to stop this fear, which is promoted by those who seek to maintain their power by creating unnecessary division among the Irish people.
The proportional representation model of democracy currently practiced in the south of Ireland will ensure significant representation for unionists in a united Irish parliament.
Proportional representation was first introduced in Sligo Town in the west of Ireland in January 1919 to ensure that the 25 percent of the population who identified as Unionists would be represented on the town council. This system has resulted in people of Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Islamic faiths all being elected to the national parliament.
It is also time to debunk the myth that Irish Protestants have universally supported a union with Britain. There are several examples of Protestant leaders who have espoused republican ideals. Among them, Sam Maguire, who recruited Michael Collins to the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Bulmer Hobson from Belfast was a leading member of the Irish Volunteers. Before them, Charles Stewart Parnell led a heroic, if ultimately unsuccessful, attempt to win a form of self-government for Ireland.
The debate about a united Ireland has only started. Where California goes, so goes the nation. Please contact your elected representatives and ask them to support a united Ireland.
The Hunger Site
October 4, 2009 at 12:51 am
It’s a downrirght lie to suggest that the north of Ireland enjoys higher living standards than the south.The Republic has lower income taxes, higher incomes, much higher minimum wage of $13 per hour, an excellent health service,which is free for those on low incomes. Compare state benefits in the Republic to the north such as, old age pension ,south -230euro.,north 80 euro.Unemployment benefit, south 204 euro. north 70 euro. Gdp per capita is almost twice as high in the Republic as it is in the north.
Demographics are very interesting in the north of Ireland, although Protestants still have a slim majority
[54%] 2/3 of the over 60’s are Protestant and Catholics have a majority in the under 30’s and a strong majority in those of school going age.The writing is on the wall for Unionism and the northern Ireland state.Unionists will go through three phases,anger ,denial and finally they will have to have acceptance.
September 7, 2009 at 9:04 am
Okay Ummm does anyone read the good friday agreement
the People of Northern Ireland are part of the United Kingdom because we want to be we are not being forced to we are part of the United Kingdom because we want to be!!!! there will never be a United Ireland because people in the Republic of Ireland dont want one for mainly economical reasons as Northern Irelandhas thing that the Republic of Ireland does not
(ask sinn fein are they willing to Pay 40-80 euros to see a doctor in a “united Ireland” where in the UK they get it free under the NHS ) I wish people in the US would keep their noses out of Our business Northern Ireland is Part of the U.K Until a majority decide otherwise and I tell you now that it will never happen due to the near bankrupt economy of Euroland Republic of Ireland
September 1, 2009 at 1:28 am
John Burton’s assertion that not all Protestants universally support UK union is rubbish. Opinion polls put support at 95%. This contrasts with 25 to 30% support of Catholics in Northern Ireland to want to maintain the UK union. Although Catholics in NI will vote for SF or the SDLP, when it comes to voting for a United Ireland, that is a different story. A United Ireland will mean no National Health Service, lower living standards and less Government jobs. Many Catholics say they do not want to change the status quo in Northern Ireland. It does not matter how many resoutions are passed the matter will only be decided democratically by the people of NI. Ironicially the removal of discrimination in NI has made most Catholics less inclined to want a United Ireland and this has been proved by numerous opinion polls, which point to at least 70% support in NI for union with the UK to be maintained. Why do you think SF does not want to call a referedum on the issue? It will be too embarassing for them!
August 30, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Aren’t both Ireland and the United Kingdom members of the EEC? Are any of the EEC communities arming-up against each other? Should California be deciding Irish unification issues or don’t all the Irish have parliamentary representation? Why doesn’t John Burton and the California Democratic Party do something easy and significant like unify Israel and Palestine?
August 29, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Wow! First America brings democracy to Iraq, and Northern Ireland is next.
Umm, Northern Ireland already has a democratic system. In fact, it’s the same proportional representation system used in the South, giving all communities fair representation.
The essence of the Good Friday Agreement was the agreement by the Irish Republic, and the Nationalist community in the North, to respect the wishes of the majority in the North.
This resolution unwisely passed by the California Democratic Party violates the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement.
August 27, 2009 at 2:19 pm
How about starting with a united Democratic Party in California, John? Or is that too much to ask for?