Yes! We’re all individuals!

And so, of course, we are all entitled to our own points of view. But^[1] sometimes don’t you think it’d be easier if we all thought the same way^[2] Wouldn’t it make life so much easier? Think about it. No more contentious issues such as “who should we vote for” never mind “whose god is better” because we’d all agree^[3] Think how many wars and deaths we’d prevent if we all just got along, or at the very least pretended to get along. For the sake of the children^[4] But alas, and indeed alack, this future of agreement, harmony and living happily every after is probably^[5] never going to happen.

You only have to look at the passions being raised over the Ireland V England rugby match to realise that peoples don’t agree with peoples.

I know, you^[6] are thinking, sure it is only a rugby match, what is there to disagree over? The quick answer is a bloody lot.

First off there is the whole idea of anything but GAA being played at Croker. Where else would you have an amateur sporting organisation coming to the aid of the two main professional sporting bodies and letting them use its venue. But this can pretty much be ignored. This argument was had before the French came and stole our thunder. No, this argument rests squarely with the fact that it is damned English that are coming.

After all we all recall the Martin Johnson incident, don’t we? Where he and his ebil henchmen came and stood in the wrong position. Breaking protocol and forcing our president to walk off the red carpet, and on to the grass!^[7] Imagine that. Her excellency forced to walk on the green sod itself. Horrific.

We have long memories here in Ireland, so we do. That’ll never be forgotten. You hear Mr^[8] Johnson, never!

But of course the real reason for objections is the fact that the anthem God Save The Queen will be played. In the very grounds where the british army shot dead 14 Irish people, including one of the players^[9] Don’t forget that Hill 16 was built out of the rubble of the 1916 destruction. It is sacred ground, because the GAA is much more than a sporting organisation. It is a way of life, and a cultural identifier^[10] and to have the “enemy’s anthem” played there shows a serious lack of respect.

According to some people.

Me, I tend to disagree. After all isn’t rugby one place where we have a united Ireland? And isn’t it said that sport is war by other means^[11] so surely some people should see it as a good thing. Ireland united against the English.

I’m going to be totally honest here. I don’t like the English anthem. And I don’t like the Union Jack. And I cannot give you a rational explanation for that, I just dislike them. Cultural hatred or summat. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t stand for both. Or for the English Queen.^[12] because just like our president is a representative of Ireland, so is the Queen a symbol of England. And in this day and age, surely we can be mature enough to respect the English anthem as it is a symbol of the English people of today. Not of 10 years ago. And not of 800 years ago.

A sense of history is important. No denying that. But so too is learning from the past and moving on.

Course, we don’t live in my personal dictatorship^[13] so you can have your own opinions and express them too.

Edited to add:
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