One person we don't need any moral lectures from
James Forsyth 10:26am
There are few people less qualified to act as any kind of moral arbiter than Martin McGuinness. So it is deeply comic to see him pronouncing on how television celebrates the demon drink. He told the British Irish Council, “I am not a fan of East-Enders or Coronation Street but my wife and my children, particularly the girls, watch the programme. I am appalled at the drunkenness that is quite clear for everybody to see and all of that before the 9 o’clock watershed when children as young as 8, 9, 10 and 11 are watching. Now I regard that as irresponsible broadcasting and I think something should be done about it.”
McGuinness seems to have conveniently forgotten, or more likely just doesn't care, about the scenes of death and violence that the IRA used to put on screens in Northern Ireland night after night. Children saw those too. Children were also killed by the IRA’s bombs. Drunkenness on TV might be a bad thing but in moral terms it hardly compares to murder, the IRA’s specialty.
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Comments
Chuck Unsworth
February 15th, 2008 11:23amI wonder what else appalls Mr McGuinness. Random acts of terrorism, possibly?
Stating the Obvious
February 15th, 2008 11:37amKind of the point the article makes, Chuck?
Austin Barry
February 15th, 2008 12:48pmIndeed, McGuinness, and his chum Gerry Adams, are loathsome characters. But when you think about where the North of Ireland was and where it is now, and wonder what pressures, direct or tangential, were applied to these two reptiles to get them to act completely contrary to their Republican ideals, well you wonder that they have time to look at television, they should be forever watching their backs.
Patsy
February 15th, 2008 1:48pmIf that's what Marty thinks about drinking, better not ask him too many questions about the IRA practice of forcing someone employed at an army base to drive a car full of explosives into the said base and then the IRA detonating the explosives before the person/enemy collaborator could exit the vehicle. At least Islamist suicide bombers get to choose.
Austin Barry
February 15th, 2008 1:56pmPatsy, well, Islamist suicide bombers get to choose except when, as recently, they suffer from Downs Syndrome.
Chuck Unsworth
February 15th, 2008 2:12pm@ Stating.... Yeah, but worth the emphasis. Repetition is a speciality of mine mine mine.
dave, surrey
February 15th, 2008 3:53pmso not only is Mcguinness a scumbag ex-terrorist, he's also aspires to be some kind of non telly watching intelectual.. I bet he call radio 'the wireless' (I know I do..)
Charlie T
February 15th, 2008 7:21pmMcGuinness turns my guts.The Provo`s pitiless murder campaign is loathsome enough though his friendship with Roy Greenslime puts him beyond the pale in my book.But I always chuckle at Alan Partridges description - "Like a clown without the make up"
CS
February 15th, 2008 11:41pmI am not a fan of East-Enders or Coronation Street but my wife and my children, particularly the girls, watch the programme. I am appalled at the number of characters who have a complete pair of intact knees and all of that before the 9 o’clock watershed when children as young as 8, 9, 10 arew watching. I think something should be done about it.
Pete
February 16th, 2008 1:25pmThat McGuiness is a loathsome character doesn't mean that he is incapable of making a valid point. One could also point an accusing finger at the soaps for giving the impression that promiscuity is fine and dandy and without any long term consequences. How many soap characters (apart from Emily Bishop) have remained faithful to their spouses? What sort of message does the endless sexual merry-go-round of the soaps send to our yougsters regarding fidelity, marriage and sexual responsibility? A good point is a good point - whoever makes it. Agreeing with his view on this point does not make one an IRA sympathiser.