The Brendan Hughes Interview
JOE O'NEILL
In the H-Blocks Brendan Hughes was instrumental in organizing the men on the blanket protest and was elected O/C with Bobby Sands as his adjutant. As the protests by the men escalated, without any movement by prison authorities, or the Thatcher government, to resolve the prisoners demands to end their inhumane treatment, he called for volunteers to join him in a hunger strike.
Hughes resigned as O/C, to be replaced by Bobby Sands and was joined by 6 of the 90 men who had volunteered to go on hunger strike. After 53 days without food, with Sean McKenna within hours of death and the others in very serious condition, the strike was called off as the government delivered a document which satisfied the prisoners demands. After the government reneged on their agreement the strike, led this time by Bobby Sands, commenced with deadly consequences.
In our interview Hughes discussed a wide range of topics on the Irish political landscape.
G21: Share with us your opinions on the Good Friday Agreement.
HUGHES: The decision was taken from the top down, there were no discussions, there was nothing taking place.
What we heard was, 'The Hume/Adams Document' and I am very annoyed at this because, I have spent my whole life in this Republican movement and all of a sudden everyone is talking about 'The Hume Adams Document' and I asked if I could see it . To my knowledge no one has ever seen it.
I thought it was a disgrace that John Hume knew where this movement was going [and] I didn't know where it was going. I didn't know anything about 'The Hume Adams Document', what the hell is it? Then, 'The Hume Adams Document', developed into the 'Good Friday Agreement'.
What was the Good Friday Agreement all about? All of my life I spent attempting to bring down Stormont, attempting to remove the British from Ireland and all of a sudden, all of that language was gone. We no longer talk about a British declaration of intent to withdraw from this country and we have got to the stage where we were actually fighting to get down to the Stormont, that we just spent 30 years trying to bring down. The loyalty factor eventually burnt out with me, the loyalty factor was no longer there.... More
THE SEX COLUMN:
Hart -v. - Tuna: The Winter Smackdown
THOMAS HART & CHARLIE THE TUNA
THOMAS HART, Austin, Texas: My gran'pappy always used to say, "It's the loudest turkey what always ends up in the oven first." I think about that sayin' as I'm asked to "step to" Charlie the Tuna and help that ole boy get his mind right.
At first I hesitated even botherin' to respond to his spew, but the fact that he kept singling me out, week after week, and had the gall to accuse me of being derivative of his adle-pated maunderings finally provoked me to give an answer. I have only a few main points to make here, fellow Sanitation Engineers, so ya'll hang with me...
CHARLIE THE TUNA, San Francisco, CA: So finally the much-celebrated "Tabloid" Hart has come out of hiding and agreed to go toe-to-toe with the Master of Smackdown Columnists. I'm actually surprised Mr. Hart had the hair, after seeing how I chewed up his protegé Ed Cantarella like that Loser was so much dog-meat.
So now that you are here, Hart, get ready for a full-blown ass-whuppin'. I'll try to be gentle, since we are entering the Holidays....More
G21 SPECIAL REPORT:
The Liddy Tape - Part 2
ROD AMIS
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Last week The World's Magazine provided the inside story behind how a thirty year old eyewitness account of the Bloody Sunday massacre in Ireland was provided to the new Blair government Bloody Sunday Inquiry in the United Kingdom. Our reporter, Joe O'Neill was directly instrumental in that process. But neither the official Inquiry Web site nor the BBC provided a complete audio or transcript of the John Barry Liddy Tape. As a service to our readers around the world, with the assistance of Ms. Jane Winter of British Irish Rights Watch, G21 provides that transcript.--RA]
...Today in Colmcille Court, the British Army opened fired indiscriminately against unarmed civilians whose only weapons were stones.
My own brother Seamus Liddy was hit in the heart by a rubber bullet. I ran forward to render him assistance along with the brother- in-law's son and the son-in-law. We lifted my brother up to carry him in to the side of the road.
My 17, or -- 15-year-old nephew was shot down, he was hit in the stomach from a rifleman firing from Derry Walls. I would say that he was the first casualty. His name was Michael Kelly, my wife's nephew.
Father Bradley, a Roman Catholic curate, knelt down at his head to administer the Last Rites of the Church. While he was doing so, the British army were still firing into us and four more innocent people fell, three of them consequently died; about the fourth one I am not terribly sure.
Father Bradley then went out on to the road to administer the Last Rites to the four people who were shot. As he went out from behind cover, the British army opened indiscriminate fire on him. Myself and another lad --- his name is unknown to me --- went out and pulled Father Bradley back. I got out my white handkerchief and went out at the corner of the building and waved it in the direction of the British army. As I did so, a burst of automatic or semi-automatic fire hit the side of the building beside where Father Bradley and I were standing...More
G21 STUFF: We know. You want to let people know that you KNOW.
If you want your loved ones wearing a G21 t-shirt, drinking from a coffee mug that proclaims allegiance to The World's Magazine this Holiday Season, YOU NEED TO ORDER BEFORE DECEMBER 10TH! GET ON IT! Thank you so much!!!
VOX POPULI:
From Bob P, Marietta, OH, USA:
I have to tell you that the new issue is splendid, from the stunning article on Chechnya to the excellent piece on Cuba.
I'm currently reading a book called "Cuba on My Mind: Journeys to a Severed Nation," by Romain de la Campa, a native of Cuba who returned for an extended visit last year.
Even Phala Ray-Orians contributed a worthwhile article, one which needed some punching up, but the tone came through. Your column, as always, is worthwhile reading. It always reads so effortlessly, which means you must have worked hard to achieve that effect.
Kevin Carey seems to strike me good one week, so-so the next. This week's is on the good side. I like it when he delves into politics, and British politics always seem fascinating. His eyes interpreted the U.S. election pretty well.
Even Raheem clicked. He's best when he writes long enough. This one seemed just right.
I've yet to make up my mind on Charlie the Tuna. I'm somewhere in the middle right now. All in all,Ưan outstanding week.
Congrats!
Bob ... More
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Here we are, back in the Holy Days again: long shopping lines in the "developed" world, hours of prayers everywhere else that matters, the fantasies of children, depression, parties, mistakes; the Western idea of the New Year stares you in the face. Yes, Isaac Asimov, a new millennium this time.
Frankly, my dears, I don't care who wins the Presidential election anymore. Who ever wins also loses. What I'm waiting for (indeed, salivating about!) is the juicy TV movie that's certain to come out of this.
