DAVID CHRISTOPHER,
Sir, - Sadly your correspondent Frank Fitzpatrick (February 5th) probably speaks for many in the Republic in voicing his frustration at which he sees as the lack of a long-term vision from unionism. He is, after all, correct in his analysis that the constitutional position of Northern Ireland within the Union is more secure than it has been for many years. Unfortunately, he fails to appreciate that this "on paper" guarantee has not translated well into an "on the ground" sense of security for unionist communities at the grassroots level.
Whilst the gains for republicanism and nationalism under the Belfast Agreement have had a very visible and immediate impact, the gains won by unionism, whilst no less significant, are far more ephemeral - their impact will mostly be felt over the longer term. It is very difficult to explain to a grassroots unionist, unnerved by the Patten report and disgusted about prisoner releases, that the agreement is, after all, worthwhile because the Union 30 years from now will be more secure.
Thus, it is not the case that unionists are opposed to an agenda of "equality, mutual forgiveness and tolerance". What we do oppose is the subtext - long implied in the statements of nationalist politicians, and for too long the tacit position of the British government itself - that such an agenda necessitates the "hollowing out" of Northern Ireland's Britishness.
For many people, particularly those living in disadvantaged loyalist communities, this "hollowing out" has meant that the agreement, far from leading to "mutual forgiveness and tolerance" has led instead to a growing sense of alienation and marginalisation. For them the "new" Northern Ireland has grown to feel like a cold and, at times, hostile place. In many ways one understands why such people have a "settler mentality" - one does not, after all, feel like a settler in a place where one feels at home and accepted.
This is the biggest problem the agreement has faced to date, and it is very much in the interest of nationalism as well as unionism to address it. For it is only when both sides feel a sense of confidence and shared ownership in the future, that the true potential of the Belfast Agreement can be realised. - Yours, etc.,
DAVID CHRISTOPHER,
Trinity Square,
Lombard Street East,
Dublin 2.