If you only read one thread about Brexit and the Northern Ireland border, make it this one
22.
22. And now we see violence could sleepwalk back in as a SIDE EFFECT of Brexit. One that no one ever mentioned in any debate I watched.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 27 June 2016
23.
23.The Troubles, back as A SIDE EFFECT of a tussle for the leadership of the Conservatives, a party NI citizens don’t even fucking vote for.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 27 June 2016
24.
24. REMEMBER: Irish-Identifying NI citizens (I don’t like saying ‘Catholics’) risk now being physically cut off from Eire. That is DRAMATIC.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 27 June 2016
25.
25. Vast majority are not hardened, violent. Same was true in 60s-80s. It takes an angry minority, w a “legitimate” grievance to recruit.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 27 June 2016
26.
26. The recklessness of not appreciating this powder keg AS EVEN A FUCKING TALKING POINT IN THE DEBATES disgusts me.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 27 June 2016
27.
27. I identify as Irish (and have Irish passport) but am happy for NI to remain part of UK if majority say so; and we have peace, stability.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 27 June 2016
28.
28. Same is true of LARGE percentage of Irish-Identifying NI people. But free travel to Eire is part of that peace, part of that stability.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 27 June 2016
29.
29. As is the HUGE amount of cash the EU gave us in peace dividends. (€3.5bn from EU in last round of budgeting).
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 27 June 2016
30.
30. But at least English people (and Welsh too – wtf lads???) can strike a blow against bendy bananas.
[SLOW HAND CLAP, SOBBING]
END.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 27 June 2016
31.
31. Oh and a clarification: when I say NI citizens DON’T vote for the Tories – I mean they CAN’T vote for the Tories. They don’t run there.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 27 June 2016
32.
32. It is physically impossible for us to exert any influence or protest on the Conservative Party as they do not contest elections in NI.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 27 June 2016
33.
33. Happy to correct myself that Conservatives DO now run in NI since I left. They are massively unpopular (0.1- 2.1%) but do exist.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 27 June 2016
34.
34. We are, therefore, merely victim to wranglings within a party to whom we gave ~2% of our vote. Some cands didn’t even get deposits back.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 27 June 2016
35.
35. CLARIFICATION: Problem for Irish ISN’T access, people saying that Free Travel will persist – not the issue, issue is BORDER ITSELF.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 28 June 2016
36.
36. I “got in” every time I passed a checkpoint as a kid. LITERAL ACCESS IS NOT THE PROBLEM; it is the ordeal, the implied separation.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 28 June 2016
37.
37. 3,600 people were killed during the Troubles. 10x that injured. Perhaps 115,000 lost *close* relative. That’s sons, sisters, mums etc
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 28 June 2016
38.
38. There are only 1.5m in NI so imagine how large a % that amounts to. Then consider those who “merely” lost close friends, colleagues etc.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 28 June 2016
39.
39. Trauma is huge. If you’ve insufficient imagination to empathise, then please accept that we don’t have that luxury. We lived that.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 28 June 2016
40.
40. But the peace process worked and is working. Since GFA industrial-scale pol. violence has stopped. Nearly two decades of relative calm.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 28 June 2016
41.
41. NI people haven’t forgotten how ASTONISHING this is. Other ctizens of UK (and, to a lesser ext, ROI) really *do* appear to have done so.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 28 June 2016
42.
42. Pulling apart the planks of the peace process without even ACKNOWLEDGING you’re doing so is bad. Doing it without REALISING is worse.
— Seamas It Ever Was (@shockproofbeats) 28 June 2016
And just in case you think the name’s familiar, it’s this person who was also responsible for the world’s greatest thread (warning: has a slightly different tone, this one).