As mentioned previously here, Sunday Sequence is a show well worth the listen. It’s also worth following William Crawley’s blog for a little more insight into some of the discussions. The discussion on today’s show on the value, importance and recording of history was stimulating and absorbing. At times, the discussions here on Slugger might lead an outsider to believe we are far form any kind of resolution of our difficulties, and there are times that description seems accurate. On the other hand, that belies the mountains of work being done to create bridges, foster understanding and create a community of common understanding and mutual respect.
The key to our past and our future is our history. We may not always like what we see when we look back, but to go forward we need to learn from those experiences. I noted with great interest one of the banners held by the Concerned Women of East Belfast at last night’s Somme Parade. It said ‘These aren’t sectarian flags, learn our history’. There is obviously a message there for all of us.