Burning effigies on bonfires will not win Northern Ireland unionists any friends

Philp Black’s letter (‘The IRA burned human beings alive, not just effigies,’ July 18, see link below) opens up a conversation that needs to be had within unionism.

When Philip argues that the burning of effigies (dummies) of politicians at 11th night bonfires is a legitimate form of political protest, he is writing amid controversy over the Carrickfergus bonfire where effigies of three female politicians were hung from gallows mounted on a bonfire in Carrickfergus before it was set alight.

The question must be asked, with all the forms of political protest available to us, from writing letters to the press, holding street protests, speaking on the radio or talking to our MPs, why would anyone want to build gallows onto a bonfire and hang an effigy of a living politician? It is clearly possible for Philip or any other unionist to write letters to the press, or to attend street protests, so why the need for the gallows and the fire?

Possibly, no other form of protest other than actual violence could communicate the level of anger we have towards the person being hung and burned, possibly the element of intimidation in the burning is seen as vital?

What political objective is such a ritual supposed to achieve? Surely no unionist can imagine that such actions strengthen unionism, or win us friends. You must know that such ugly images allow Sinn Fein to portray themselves as victims, by such actions you are winning them votes.

If you are a unionist, you must know that the place of Northern Ireland within the UK requires the support of the majority of the community and that to achieve a majority we need to win over Alliance Party voters. Will hanging Naomi Long’s effigy from gallows and burning it, attract support for the union from Alliance voters?

The bonfire tradition is here to stay, but it must evolve; it is long overdue that our councils helped to create an ‘Orangefest’ which had licensed bonfires, with Lambeg drums, fireworks etc, something that would attract rather than repulse our young people.

Arnold Carton, Belfast BT6

The IRA burned human beings alive, not just effigies