I just finished reading Chris Weigant's blog post on Northern Ireland's "Bloody Sunday." What an incredible turning point in an historical event! I realized that the U2 song was political in nature, but in the classic way that we Americans can ignore foreign issues not directly related to us, I didn't bother to research what Bono was singing about. This is a part of the reason I really enjoyed Weigant's post; he goes into Bono's concerns about how "Sunday Bloody Sunday" would be interpreted.
I also agree with Weigant's point that something like the investigation headed by Lord Saville, as well as the apology rendered by Prime Minister David Cameron, would be near impossible to imagine in the United States for almost anything. I can only imagine the uproar that would ensue, if Obama offered a similar level of criticism to the actions of the U.S. military, even for a past actual atrocity. We just have a large swath of the American populace that simply doesn't brook criticism about the country (unless it's directed to someone or something that they deem "un-American," then all bets are off (tea party anyone?)).
I am glad that Britain took this step years ago to find out the truth regarding "Bloody Sunday," and though the report does nothing to bring back those who lost their lives in '72, it does exonerate them of any wrong doing, and restores honor to those men.
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