That rationalization has excused so much reprehensible behavior by so many "enlightened" people in history. However, there have always been the morally brave and truly enlightened few who puncture that statement — and, in the process, force us to look at our own decisions.
Four of the greatest warriors in the fight for Irish independence have been Protestants.
The "Father of Irish Republicanism" — Theobold Wolfe Tone (1763-1798)
Tone was an Irish Protestant lawyer who founded the United Irishmen and led the failed 1798 Rebellion. He was a tireless agitator against religious persecution inflicted on the Catholics. He was captured during the Rebellion, sentenced to hang, and committed suicide the day before his execution at the age of 35.
Robert Emmet — (1778–1803)
Emmet was the son of a successful Irish Protestant surgeon. Emmet's father often treated the British royal family when they visited Dublin — he was that connected. Emmet went to Trinity College and got his revolution on. In a big fuck-you to his dad, Emmet joined the United Irishmen and was part of Tone's doomed 1798 Rebellion. Emmet was able to bolt to France and asked Napoleon to help the Irish get their country back. The little man nixed that idea but Emmet organized another rising anyway in 1803. It was, like 1798, a disaster.
Emmet was captured soon after and at his trial gave the legendary Speech From The Dock. On September 20, 1803 Emmet was executed.
The Uncrowned King of Ireland — Charles Stewart Parnell — 1846-1891
Parnell was one of the great orators of the Irish struggle for independence and was a rich Protestant landowner. Parnell took the fight to England as a member of Parliament and crusaded for land reform on behalf of the Irish peasants he supposedly had nothing in common with.
"When we have undermined English misgovernment we have paved the way
for Ireland to take her place amongst the nations of the earth. And let us not forget that that is the ultimate goal at which all we Irishmen aim. None of us whether we be in America or in Ireland . . . . will be satisfied until we have destroyed the last link which keeps Ireland bound to England."
Parnell's longtime affair with Katherine "Kitty" O'Shea became a scandal as she was still married. The Catholich Church issued one of their typically courageous condemnations when the affair was made public. He would ultimately marry O'Shea but his time as a towering political figure was gone.
He died of complications from pneumonia at 45.
Bloody Sunday march organizer — Ivan Cooper
Ivan Cooper is a working-class Protestant who was born right into the thick of it in Killaloo, County Derry in 1944. Somehow — ya know, being a product of his time and
all — he was committed to non-violence, believed that Catholics and Protestants could work together and was involved in the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association. For presuming to think Ireland should be free, he was branded a traitor by his fellow Protestants.
Cooper was the driving force behind the civil rights march that took place on Sunday, August 21, 1970 — Bloody Sunday.
The story of that incident was re-created to amazing effect in the film Bloody Sunday.
So what are we to make of these four men — all products of their time — who managed to do what was right?
I guess we're all out of excuses, huh?
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