Should unionists be entitled to vote?

That is the logical question arising from what the UUP candidate claims SF have said in their literature in West Belfast.

Mr Manwaring said; “Gerry Adams says that moves to secure a Unionist Assembly seat “represents the old unionist agenda of resisting equality and denying nationalists’ representation.”

The message in this is that “old unionism” equates to anything so bold as seeking to put a nationalist out of the Assembly through legitimate electioneering.  To me, that is an outrageous statement. It represents the very worst of the nationalist victim complex, perhaps even fetish. It debases not only the entire concept of equality, but also any genuine grievance that Nationalism ever had over Unionism.  It is an entirely self defeating argument.

More importantly perhaps it represents a horrible sense of entitlement.  Are Nationalists more deserving of winning elections in West Belfast than anyone else? Should Unionists be allowed to participate in any way in this election?

So perhaps we could discuss the fundamental issue at question here.  What is unequal about idea that a Unionist be elected in West Belfast thorough the fair due process of lawful universal suffrage?

UPDATE: O’Neill provides a link to the leaflet in question.  My reaction having seen it is in the comments.

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