Hanging stuffed animals of three female politicians on a bonfire. Crowds gather to celebrate and cheer Naomi LongMichelle O’Neill and Mary Lou McDonald are on fire.
it’s like something out of the middle ages, not a civilized, modern democracy. The images from the Glenfield bonfire in Carrickfergus were the most gruesome of all those captured on Eleventh Night.
It was a step further than watching the burning of tricolors or campaign posters. It was not just about an anonymous flag or poster torn from a lamp post.
Someone sat down and created these effigies in an act of personal venom directed at the hanged and burned women.
Not surprisingly, Mrs. Long was troubled by this. She is one of our strongest politicians, but she said the images made her “physically nauseous”. Ms O’Neill is not just the deputy leader of Sinn Féin, she is a daughter and a mother – her two children had to see the images.
Mrs Long’s husband Michael told me of his disgust at seeing the pictures: “As a person who loves Naomi, I was very disgusted to see her stuffed animals literally hanging on the pyre.
“This has been happening since the flag protests. We’re trying to stay out of it as we leave Northern Ireland on the Twelfth, but this time we couldn’t escape the hate as the gruesome images were sent by Naomi.
“Self-regulation of fires does not work. As a society, we have to do better than this.”
The questions go beyond the campfire builders.
Was there no one in the community to step in, show leadership and remove the stuffed animals?
Make the argument that, ethics aside, this was a stupid act that backfired, harming a cause they hold dear?
Every summer is the same.
Civility and common sense go out the window when sectarian hatred wins.
