Sad loss. What a legend. R.I.P. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16910949 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-29185055 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-29179048
A bigot and a demagogue who doesn't deserve to have 50 years of hatred and wrecking overlooked because he finally relented.
At first I thought it was Ian Ziering and I was shocked that Midnight Funeral was a Beverly Hills 90210 fan.
It's always a good time watching people bubbling over with hatred talking about how evil other people are and being happy they died.
It's not surprising that someone who spent most of his career as an anti-Catholic bigot who associated with paramilitary thugs would engender strong feelings.
I saw somebody say something similar on Facebook. Can you elaborate? My knowledge of him is somewhat dated, but nothing I know about the guy would imply greatness.
He was great at being an asshole, a raving lunatic bigot, a dangerous provocateur, and a waste of oxygen. Some people like that kind of thing.
Some highlights. "They breed like rabbits and multiply like vermin" - talking about Catholics at a loyalist rally in 1969. "Catholic homes caught fire because they were loaded with petrol bombs; Catholic churches were attacked and burned because they were arsenals and priests handed out sub-machine guns to parishioners" - at a loyalist rally in 1968 following attacks on Catholic homes. "Save Ulster from sodomy!" - his slogan in a 1970s and 80s campaign against legalising homosexuality. "Line dancing is as sinful as any other type of dancing, with its sexual gestures and touching. It is an incitement to lust." "Don't come crying to me if your homes are attacked. You will reap what you sow". - to policemen, removing him from the Assembly building, 1986 "I say to the Dublin government, Mr Faulkner says it's "hands across the border to Dublin". I say, if they don't behave themselves in the South, it will be shots across the border!" - Response to the Sunningdale Agreement "She is now a parrot of the Labour government." - on the Queen The man was a theocratic fascist, who did more to ignite the Troubles and wreck the peace process than anyone. You disgrace yourself by association.
There are clearly a lot of people in this thread who don't understand the principles of redemption and forgiveness.
That's why I asked Chaos for more info. My knowledge of Paisley is along the lines of what Rick posted. Did Paisley change, make amends, etc.? What did he do to garner praise?
Mostly those who would find Paisley worthy of the two. Some evils can never be forgiven. You can do your best to make the world a better place after the fact, but the scales will never be close to being in your favor. Paisley, of course, did not do his best to make the world a better place. He merely settled down to being a somewhat lesser evil than he had been when given no other choice.
He certainly did turn into an actual human being for the last few years of his life, which is good. I dont think acting with basic decency for a few years makes up for a life of puritanical, partizan hatred of almost everyone and everything for the first 90% of his life though.
He had an operation, which by all accounts gave him an opportunity to discuss a few things with his maker, and afterwards he dialled down the rhetoric and dragged the Unionist side to the peace table. It appears he was a very complex man, quiet and reserved in private, loud and filled with piss and vinegar in public - I think he understood the value in being larger than life, he was certainly a man of ambition. I've no idea if he truly believed some of the vile bilge he came out with, or if he was playing to an audience, but the end result was the same either way - more bloodshed. Like many men who achieve a measure of greatness, he certainly wasn't a good man, but equally he earned a measure of redemption not merely by changing his ways, but also by showing that previously implacable enemies can find common ground for friendship.
He did mellow somewhat, but he was as much dragged as doing the dragging. The UK & Irish governments threatened to impose joint authority and figures within his own party (Peter Robinson et al) wanted to get their hands on power.
If he actually publicly apologized for his behavior a la George Wallace and demonstrated actions to make amends then he should be forgiven. If he didn't then I see no reason why he shouldn't be vilified.
