Stray Bullets
Having served over thirty years in the RUC / PSNI I was medically retired with CPTSD. Dissociative Identity Disorder also evolved in me as a residue of CPTSD. I wrote a novel, 'The Bitter End of Dreams', through which I hoped to reflect the experiences of working class folk caught in the grip of a sectarian conflict. I set my story in Belfast, but replaced the Judeo-Christian god with that of Mithras. I also gave Northern Ireland an extra county. Such counterfactual alterations opened up for me the opportunity to place my story deep within the NI Troubles without being shackled to specific timelines, events and real people - thus avoiding the risk of libelling anyone, while being able to write a story, familiar to many, and retaining a sense of place and the tragedy of the Troubles. I'm going to talk openly about elements of policing the Troubles, religion, politics, sectarianism and our toxic ideologies. I've explored these topics in my novel, as well as the placing of actual events and atrocities; albeit heavily disguised or deeply submerged in subtext.To better frame my thoughts I will, firstly, discuss each chapter in sequence before reading that chapter. In this way I should be able to complete a spoken word version of my novel while using the opportunity it provides to elaborate on its creation process in the context of the NI Troubles.Thank you.
Stray Bullets
'Better to have one man whom you can hang': Counterinsurgency and State Violence Part I
This episode will, more or less, set up the episode(s) to follow. I'll discuss aspects of how Britain once looked to deal with internal threats and / or insurgency. Beginning with the 19th centaury I'll look at some examples of how Britain sought to deal with riots or unrest within its own borders as well as that of Ireland.
I also draw on some of my own experiences to extrapolate some historical occurrences to that of the Troubles.
In the next episode I'll be looking at 1920s Ireland up to recent times as well as examining regions such as Palestine.
Finally, the final thoughts in this episode is from an ex-member of 14 Int, and they are quite damning in terms of RUC Special Branch.
Thank you.
Works cited in this episode:
Sir C. Gwynn, Imperial Policing, London 1934
A. V. Dicey, Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution, London 1885
Gen. Sir C. Napier, Remarks on Military Law, London 1837
Report of the Departmental Committee appointed to inquire into the disturbances at Featherstone, Parliamentary Papers 1893 - 4
C. Townsend, Political Violence in Ireland, Oxford 1983
F. Kitson, Low Intensity Operations, London 1971
Memorandum by Walter Long, 21 July 2016, Bonar Law Papers
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