Recent events in Great Britain have raised a lot of questions about just how serious the British government is in making peace in Northern Ireland. It seems there has been no real push toward peace. It is just a dance recital, where the British take one step forward, realize they have made a mistake, then take a step back. But they never really gain any ground. They are certainly not making anyone totally happy, and probably never will with their recent strategy.

Until recently, the cease-fire announced Sept.1 of last year between Britain and the Irish Republican Army has held steady. But by the looks of things, Northern Ireland will return to normal, and fighting once again may resume.

It seems this dilly-dallying began when the United States granted visas to Gerry Adams (leader of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army) and other Irish leaders who previously had been denied entry to the United States. The purpose was to start a new era of friendship with Ireland and to allow Sinn Fein to raise funds. Needless to say, the British were furious. So furious, in fact, that in one instance, Prime Minister John Major even refused a phone call from President Clinton.

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But just when one would think Great Britain was once again going head to head with the Irish Catholics, the British government has since abolished the law which banned the voice of anyone related to the IRA or Sinn Fein to be heard on British airwaves, thereby going from one extreme to the other without considering the repercussions.

But this is only one set of circumstances. The latest incident happened on July 3, when the streets of Roman Catholic areas in Northern Ireland became violent for the first time since the cease-fire. The violence was sparked by the release of a British soldier convicted of murdering an 18-year-old Irish Catholic girl in 1990 and the circumstances surrounding his release. Many in Ireland believe that Major pushed for the release in order to gain the favor of right-wing critics who sought the prisoners release.

In an effort to regain the trust of the Catholic population one week later, a pro-British Protestant march was halted by police just outside of Belfast.

The march is a two-century old tradition in which Protestants march into Catholic areas of Northern Ireland and commemorate the victory of the Protestant King William of Orange over the Catholic James II in 1690.

This is not a new war by any means. But we are in a unique era where there has been at least some talk of harmony. But by just naming a few situations, it seems that the British are not making any real progress when they have the opportunity to do so. It just seems that they are trying to make everyone happy, which they will never do. Not in our life time. Nor will they ever do so.

No matter who they side with, they will befriend the other. They are going to have to stomp on someone’s toes.

Whether it is to keep its ties in Northern Ireland, or give the Irish their land back. You can’t make everyone happy all the time.

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