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04/18/2002 Entry: "Northern Ireland"

A UMNS CommentaryBy Kathleen LaCamera

"Why are Americans giving money to terrorists to kill our children?"

That's a question I've been asked over and over by people during the nineyears I've been coming to Northern Ireland as an American journalist basedin Britain. Today the question comes out of the mouths of Loyalistparamilitary members, people who are themselves labeled "terrorists."
This question is about the perception that across the United States -especially in cities like New York, Boston and Chicago with strong Irishimmigrant roots - Americans are stuffing cash into boxes that fund the IrishRepublican Army's fight for a united Ireland.
Today, my gut response is to wonder: What gives these guys the right to asksuch a question when guns and bombs also have been part and parcel of theirLoyalist paramilitary trade? But then I remember I'm sitting with people who- no less than their Catholic counterparts - are also fathers, brothers,sons, uncles, nephews and friends to those murdered and injured in the 30years of Northern Ireland's Troubles.

The answer I give to this question reflects much of what compels me to writeabout this and other troubled spots around the world year after year.

It responds to the kernel of truth that is real and the mountain ofmisunderstanding and vacuum of information that distorts it. It relates tothe need inside so many of us to label some of the worst atrocities inIreland, the Balkans, the Middle East, in Rwanda and even at Ground Zero as"pure evil" or "senseless destruction." For someone out there, thoseactions made sense. Understanding how that is possible does not condone it,but gives us a power to prevent such horrors from being repeated.

With regard to Americans raising money for the IRA, guess what? It's true.American money has helped fuel the conflict in Northern Ireland for years.We've bought into the image of the Brad Pitt-beautiful freedom fighter whois, sure, misguided, but in his heart of hearts he's a decent soul whowouldn't hurt a fly if he weren't forced to.

However, it is worth listening to Loyalist paramilitaries talk about theloss and pain their community has suffered at the hands of the IRA. Hearingthose accounts helps us understand why such a seemingly senseless conflictcontinues. That does not in any way justify the Loyalists' equallydestructive activities against Catholics and Protestants, includingchildren, over the years.

Despite the fact that we Americans are notoriously uninterested in muchbeyond our borders, Loyalists talk as if all 280 million Americans activelysee them as the bad guys. This perception only contributes to the feelingthat Loyalists have been backed into a tight, lonely corner. The truth isthat most Americans don't know or care much about Northern Ireland. And hereis the tragic irony: Loyalists' misperception of the extent of U.S. supportfor "the other side" actually contributes to the real, increasing alienationand desperation of the Loyalist Protestant community. That's amazing - andawful!

So where does that leave us in a world full of conflict and terror? Itleaves us with a mandate to listen, particularly when we don't want to.Especially when the actions of those asking for our ear (and sometimes theydo that with violence) repel or baffle or terrify us. We have to talk tothose we think of as "the bad guys" as well as those who are their"victims." We need to know more about who they are and what they arethinking. To use the old cliché, we need to walk a mile (or two) in theirshoes. And we need to do it as directly and as personally as possible.

We also must turn to more than just our local newspapers and regulartelevision news and radio reports for information. Through the Internet, theworld's media are at our fingertips. Why not log on and see what both Irishand South African newspapers are saying about peace talks in NorthernIreland? While you're at it, have a look at what newspapers in England aresaying about the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. Then check out the Hong Kongpapers for stories about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Don't forget youcan log on to radio worldwide through the Internet as well.

I've lived for 10 years in Europe, and believe me, there is a whole world ofstories and opinions reported that Americans rarely see or hear. No doubtthe reverse is true as well. There are many stories reported within theUnited States that the rest of the world never sees. Information gaps - theyare dangerous.

As United Methodists, we say we are a worldwide church that preaches agospel that knows no borders. To do that effectively and respectfully, weneed a worldwide perspective, even if that means making a bit more of aneffort. Even if it means listening to those who deeply offend us by theiractions, and their political and even religious perspectives. Daniel Holloway works with a group in Northern Ireland called CommunityDialogue. It specializes in bringing together people on all sides ofNorthern Ireland's conflict to hear one another's stories. With a laugh,Holloway told me that through dialogue, at the very least, "people come toknow better why they want to kill each other." But more often, he reported,telling their stories means that people who were once just "the other side"begin to have a human face, and the common ground that links one to theother becomes more obvious.

"There's nothing mysterious going on here in Northern Ireland," Hollowaysaid. While specifics change, the basics of conflict and reconciliation areremarkably similar, whether you're in the Northern Ireland or the MiddleEast, Kosovo or Afghanistan, South Africa or New York City. The way to peacealmost always involves sitting down, talking and then listening to those wesee as the bad guys.

We Christians say we believe in transformation and hope. Conflicts likethose we find in Northern Ireland can easily seem far too complex, deeplyrooted and downright confusing for us to engage. They are not. We don't haveto wait for Colin Powell, Yasser Arafat or Gerry Adams to enter into theprocess of making peace. We can begin today, listening deeply to people onall sides, even the ones we suspect are the bad guys.