Sir, - You seem anxious to give Prof Brendan O'Leary a disproportionate amount of prominence to support Sinn Fein's position on Patten. He advocates that it is essential that the moderate unionists should now be further humiliated by not being accorded one scrap of a concession in the Patten recommendations. This is truly a sectarian message - and at a time when SF was allowed to renege on its decommissioning commitments and when murderers are let back in the community without a word of remorse. Yes, violence pays.
British and Fianna Fail policy has calculatedly tested the patience of the majority unionist community to breaking point. It has imperialistically hardened attitudes and polarised neighbours. It has not supported moderates but encouraged extremists, whether at Drumcree or in the IRA-controlled ghettoes. Surely it is time to admit it is a worsening mess and for London, Dublin and Washington to declare they do not know what is best for the people of Northern Ireland? Let the elected constructive leader of Northern Ireland, Mr Trimble, now get on with governing and let Bertie Ahern, Tony Blair, all their advisors and Prof O'Leary keep their noses out of business they fail to understand, and have failed for years to understand. - Your, etc.,
Robert Barry, Firgrove, Military Road, Killiney. Co Dublin