Tuesday 18 May 2010

Patriot Act

It is my job to recognise a patriotic act when I see one. Imagine my surprise, therefore, when I saw a very commendable patriotic gesture by Dr John Reid of all people in the wake of the Hung Parliament election recently.

Dr Reid, the Celtic FC Chairman, is known as Dr Death by Rangers fans due to his former position as Defence Secretary in Tony Blair's government. He is also known as Dr Strangelove, as Tony Blair's attack dog and has openly been called a war criminal because he presided over Britain's Armed Forces in the Iraq War. Furthermore, in addition to being a real leftie politically, Dr Reid's support of Republicanism in Northern Ireland is not exactly classified information.

Dr Reid is not exactly the type of man you would expect to do something that is a real blessing to the nation. Yet he did. In the uncertain days following the election on May 6th, Dr Reid spoke very clearly against the mooted Labour-Liberal Democrat pact, saying it was plain wrong to have such an agreement and that Labour had lost the election. Dr Reid acknowledged this unholy alliance would have deeply divided the nation and would very likely be mutually destructive to both parties. His voice of sanity prevailed against the Machiavellian plottings of Campbell and Mandelson, who wanted to bounce Labour into a coalition which was a desperate attempt to hold on to power.

There is no doubt that John Reid's actions staved off a potentially explosive situation and brought peace to a troubled nation. For this he is to be commended.

Real patriots are not those who bluster and wave the Union flag. They are not people who boast about what they believe and sing pro-British songs. A real patriot simply puts the national interest before his/her own. There are thousands upon thousands of graves filled with those whom some of my readers would not class as patriots because of their faith or political persuasion. Many loyalists (rightly) mark the deaths of thousands of UVF servicemen who died at the Somme, while ignoring the even more dreadful sacrifice of Redmond's Irish volunteers who perished at their side. A man who takes a bullet fighting for King and Country is a patriot, regardless of his ideology. We who dwell in ease have no right to expect our patriotism trumps that of others who have paid the ultimate sacrifice because we believe the right things and they were "Fenians" or "Republicans".

In a similar tone, I would love to be writing today of the patriotic gesture of the Rangers chairman. But I have to follow the biblical command to give honour to whom it is due. Like it or not, fellow loyalists, this nation owes a debt to Dr John Reid.