I don’t know when she started wearing it, but it’s a constant feature now. I’m talking about the jewelled brooch in the shape of a royal crown which Arlene Foster now wears, whatever her outfit. I don’t think I’ve heard any nationalists/republicans objecting to it, nor should they. What Arlene chooses to wear in her lapel, so to say, is Arlene’s business.
But let’s suppose it was Martin McGuinness. And he decided to wear, oh…well, an Irish tricolour lapel piece. That would be pretty much the counter-balancing symbol, wouldn’t it? Do you think it would pass unremarked? Do you think that unionists wouldn’t be vocal in their condemnation of this provocative coat-trailing? Of course they would. And they’d be dead wrong.
I’m coming more and more to believe that unionist politicians simply aren’t interested in showing sensitivity to nationalists/republicans, but demand sensitivity and respect for the things they hold dear.
It ain’t what you do, it’s who it is that’s doin’ it.
Arlene maybe sees herself as Queen of NI and hopes potential voters do too
It’s what Perkin Warbeck called a Predge Pin.
suppose its an improvement on peters red beret.we know he was more loyal to the half crown.
It’s a funny old world and maybe we can seem too sensitive about many things. You might remember Jude ..way back in the mists of time that when you were eating your toast and marmalade across the breakfast table ,on the Robinsons jar, was sported a little “golly “character. It had been their symbol/mascot for about 100 years until sometime in the 1980s or 1990s decided that it was politically incorrect to use it at all…just as they decided that the Black and White Minstrel show was a bit of a dodgy concept. Racist too!! I thought the minstrels were well past their sell -by date anyway…from the time of music hall…. but the golly was something else. It may have had its origins in some kind of racial slur but had long since been adopted as a storybook character and a child’s cuddly toy , no more noxious than making a stuffed toy doll ,bear or a rabbit. Robinsons produced a huge quantity of beautifully crafted enamel brooches based on the character which I collected as a child because they were so well constructed. I am not remotely racist as you no doubt already know, but sometimes I feel political correctness goes a little too far in its sensitivity. There is obviously a fine line …just as there is in humour ,but we all need to develop a harder shell and laugh a little more at ourselves sometimes .I demand the right to wear my little antique guitar- playing Silver Shred golly on my lapel . I think Our Marty should be allowed to similarly wear a little tricolour pin if he so desires and Arlene her crown, twinset and pearls too….I’d really love to see one of them with a “Never Mind The Bollocks”…. Sex Pistols T-shirt on , mind.
I agree, PK – as I said, Arlene’s entitled to wear whatever she wants, I have no problem with that. My point was, how would unionist politicians react if Martin McGuinness, on every occasion, wore a tricolour in his lapel? I have no doubt they would be mightily peeved and vocal. And I think Arlene didn’t just put up her brooch in a fit of absent-mindedness.
Well y’know Jude , Our Arlene really does love Her Maj and so do some of her floc ….er followers….or maybe as you imply , she’s just a wee bit insecure..and want to stick it up themmuns….
Jude
Criticising Unionists for something that didn’t happen? Nice.
The debate failed to broach such complex issues.
I can’t understand why this woman sees herself as inferior to another woman and signifies it by wearing a metal symbol
Would she wear it when meeting the Queen or would that be too OTT!
On perusing this morning’s copy of (1) the Unionist Times and (2) Your Timely Bulletins, Esteemed Blogmeister, one was reminded of another morning, some years ago.
When one happened to walk into the National Gallery in Oslo with the primary intention of taking a gawk at a painting which has caused a lot of talk. Not least among one’s fellow high-brow, six-fingered, knuckle-dragging ortistic types / fellow groveling trovellers on the DORT.
This was the painting with a figure in the foreground beside a three barred wooden railing and below a tumultuous orange sky : an androgynous creature with both hands to its ears, bald, pasty, mouth open in a rictus of agony. Sound familiar?
No, not a picture of Brendan Howlin called ‘The Howl ‘ but rather ‘The Scream’ (‘Skrik’ in Norwegian) by the Expressionist Edvard Munch. The same painting which has been described as ‘an icon of the modern age, a Mona Lisa of our times’.
It detained one roughly as long as, say, the first, line and a half of a leading article in The Unionist Times, before swiftly moving on to the next room in the gallery, where one was detained for a deal longer. Indeed, a good deal longer.
Therein hung a retrospective of the work of one or Norway’s leading romantic landscape artists of the 19th century: put your hands together, folks, for Hans Gude.
If Munch was good, just about, Hans Gude was even better, far, far better. At least to the eyes of The Perkin’s inner primitive. There be soaring mountain peaks, deep forests, ladies in the sunshine, a contemplative spot below an oak tree, fishing boats, rustic bridges, sailing boats, deep ravines: all stroked in rich, saturated colours with striking contrasts of light and shade.
‘A Bridal Procession in Hardanjerfiord’ still clings to the memory, with the same tenacity of an Armagh back clinging to the gansey of a Fermanagh forward.
Back then, for a second, just- to- make-doubly- sure gawk at ‘The Scream’. As no earplugs were provided, this time either, one moved hurriedly on.
Now, as it happens this, erm, iconic image was painted in 1893, the same year that Conradh na Gaeilge / The Gaelic League was founded in a mist of emerald green..
Which may or may not be relevant to the list of articles penned by, erm, Munchkin-minds for the benefit of Munchkin-minds so far this week in The Unionist Times :
-‘Irish remember the past of Easter Sunday but are not bound by it’ by Theresa Villiners.
‘ Why British soldiers belong on the 1916 Memorial Wall’ by Neil Richardson.
And, this is a REAL knee-slapping scream:
‘Tory-hating is the last bastion of Anlgophobia’ by Newton Emerson.
And, remember, this is only Thursday !
To conclude with a ceist / question:
Might the tumultuous orange sky under which the agonized craytur in The Scream is painted be any way (gulp) related to the tumultuous orange sky under which the agonized crayturs of The Unionist Times opt to operate ?
“And, this is a REAL knee-slapping scream” – for a second I thought you said something else there, Perkin…
A peculiarly funny thing, Esteemed Blogmeister, but one was experiencing , almost simultaneously, a similar near deficit moment.
‘appened as one was lending an ear to the dulcet tones of Shane Ross (former Senator, now M.P. in the Doyle) on the wireless. Indeed, Somerville and Ross (as he is known to his Legionaire fan) has been putting himself about quite a lot of late on the airwaves, even far more than normal, which is braying something.
So much so, that one is even forced to outsource some ears just to keep up with him.
-Love-bombing.
That’s what Shane de Rossa was complaining / explaining about. How the two (-) major parties (one almost inserted a Johnnie between the two and the major there) have been vying with each other to see which of them can inflict the most (no warning) love-bombing upon his vulnerable head of the talking variety.
Indeed, there do be times over the last two months since GE 2016 that one do be getting the distinct impresh that the Rugby-schooled chap doth protest too much at being the recipient of all this no-warning love-bombing on Liffeyside.
For many a moment , one was almost back in the wholesome rural ambiance of the Glennane Health Farm.
Did one mention the one minor major party which has not inflicted this no-warning love-bombing campaign upon the fragile soul of the schubertian Shane Rosimund ?
One will allow the ubiquitous studio-tourist elocute for himself, as in this very shin-guarded moment:
-No, Sinn Finn have not, om, been subjecting me to , om, love-bombing. Nor would I, om, be in the least bit interested, in being, om, subjected to one such no-warning l-b campaign.
So, it is not only on electioneering grounds alone but also on (gulp) elocutionary grounds too that inclusionary Lord Ross has chosen the high moral ground in the House of Common or Gardens from which to distance himself from the how’s-about-ye’s of the insufferable SF. A noble stance for which he is to be highly commended. (As he is, he is).
Here, one must come clean here and fess up: one warmly welcomes this putting back of the om into Home Rule. For far too long it has been sidelined on Oirish soil by the fleg-waving fanaticos, neo-nazionalists and other snaking regarders of the Far Luftwaffe.
And it is not only the Old Boy of the original of the educational species, Rugby School, Warwickshire, who is to be thanked for this up-skilling in the local speech patterns of Pat but the Old Boys of our very own home-grown Home Ruled rugby schools are to be credited also.
Take, at random, say, Gervaise ‘Gerry’ Thornley, celebrated rugger cor of The Unionist Times.
-There are, om, lots of positives to be taken, om, from standing to attention, om, shoulder to shoulder during, om, Oireland’s Call. It means that the chaps, om, from the
Five Provinces get to keep their, om, chips intact.
(The Fifth Province ? That would be, om, The Orange Free State Province, Schalk.)
The zeitgeist would seem to be such that a Southsoide motion picture is, om, overdue:
-The Omittments.
Soundtrack to be, om, provided by?
-Why, Her Supreme Hi ! ness, Diana Ross and the, om, Love-bombers
One seconds that omotion.
If Martin wore a trickler pin in his lapel he would be doing it to be provocactive. If you have an Irish name or address and insist that the government(sic) agencies spell it correctly you are being foolish and petty. But Londonderry and the crown badge are ok. That’s normal. And pk I don’t know about you not being racist. I heard you making fun of the Tyrone people once. Note,jude.
Where’s me black book…
So you’re saying fiosrach , that the Tyronies are a separate race then, eh…?you can close the book now Jude….
she could always weld a harp on the bottom,remind her of her ruc heros suppose she needs something to brighten her up.
I noticed Martin offering equality again regarding FMDM if Sinn Fein win the majority.
I noticed His jesture being shrugged off ,.
Martin Please dont offer again ,. ENOUGH SAID.
You may not have noticed Arlene sporting this tin badge before, but I thought she showed a distinct lack of taste by wearing it on official business in Washington on St Patrick’s Day.
In that situation, it was not a fashion accessory – she just has to remind us how uber Brit she is!
It was a funny old thing when certain faithful *cough* ‘commentators’ were trying to put forward the lie that Tiocfaidh Arlene somehow represented a modern ‘progressive’ leader for the 21st Century. This is the DUP we’re talking about. They make the old South African National Party seem like a bunch of free thinking progressives. If Foster was in any way forward thinking she would not have been elected leader. (Didn’t I read somewhere her election being referred to as a ‘coronation’? Jesus wept).
Again, this ties into the derision with which nationalist/republican efforts at reconciliation are met with by the DUP. Foster has absolutely zero interest in representing anyone from a non-Unionist background. She makes that much pretty clear. It almost makes you pine for the days of Peter Robinson 🙂
Ach well, the clock’s ticking. I sometimes feel she is more to be pitied than anything else.
Bush seems to have started the American lapel badge craze, now every President, Vice-President, Presidential candidate all seem to feel the need to wear one. Even political commentators on Fox get in on the act. What starts off in America usually spreads elsewhere but can’t think of other foreign leaders who have copied that trend apart from Mikheil Saakashvili
She models herself on DUDLEY MOORE ,,,,,,,,,, need I say more!
Yeah I noticed the brooch last night too. Its the first time I’ve noticed it, if I’m being honest. I think Arlene is just trying to be more British than the UUP and what better way of doing it than showing off a brooch reassembling the British Crown?
Yeah, you can be sure if Martin McGuinness did wear a brooch of, say, an Easter Lily or a Tricolour there would be Unionist outrage.
Martin McGuinness last night said if he was First Minister he would change the title of the office from the “First and Deputy First Ministers” to “The Joint First Ministers”. I asked the question last night: “Why doesn’t the DUP change the title to be more inclusive?” As one person replied: “Because they want to appear better than the fenians and make sure they know their place”. It would certainly appear so…..
“I’m coming more and more to believe that unionist politicians simply aren’t interested in showing sensitivity to nationalists/republicans, but demand sensitivity and respect for the things they hold dear”
That’s the way its always been Jude and its becoming more and more common. From giving freedom of towns to the British Army, to paying for memorials to the RUC/UDR, to flying the Union flag from council buildings 365 days a year, opposing funding for the Irish language, opposing funding for Easter Rising commemorations, etc
That’s why I laughed this morning while listening to Jim Allister on the Nolan Show, talking fantasy politics about bringing back majority rule. Jim actually thinks that the Catholic community will just sit on their hands and accept Unionist rule, he still thinks we’re an irrelevant minority (or should I say MAJORITY since that’s coming down the line) who can be discriminated against because make no mistake if Unionist rule came back it would simply take up what it use to do and that was discriminate against Catholics in jobs and especially housing, all done to create an environment where Catholics emigrate.
That’s why I believe many Unionist politicians are so disrespectful, insensitive and hostile to Catholics, and yes it is about religion to many of them, because as Sir Basil Brooke the former NI Prime Minister said: “I wouldn’t have a Roman Catholic about the place”. Nor would many Unionist politicians even today….
Unionism is a silly fascist cult.Arlene’s lapel-wearing grandstanding is just a manifestation of Unionist servility rather than loyalty to the Crown;how can one be loyal to a country that would off-load you in a heartbeat if NI was self-sufficient or RoI’s economy was sufficiently robust.
Mickelroy, I remember watching a documentary on youtube about Unionism. It was done by an American and he states at the end that Unionism is “fearful of the day when the British Government say that enough is enough and pull out of Northern Ireland. I think the issue isn’t that Unionists aren’t loyal but they are TOO loyal, too loyal to the past that Britain has left behind”.
I think the American documentary maker summed it up perfectly.
Mickelroy
Unionism certainly has had its share of fascists over the years.
And of course Republicanism too in the form of the PIRA.
I totally agree with you, Jude. As First Minister of the North, this crown isn’t representative of a large section of the community that Arlene allegedly represents, or does she? This crown for many is a divisive symbol of oppression, amongst other things. I fear, Arlene, is the perfect mould as leader of Unionism. But, with Mike Nesbitt snipping on the heels, playing the “super Unionist” card for the electorate must be the DUP’s way of engaging with the electorate.
When the DUP party electoral broadcast shows that famous footage of Arlene on that bus in the 80’s it makes me wonder what her intentions really are. The past cannot be forgotten, but to use that footage in 2016 for an assembly election to a power sharing government is beyond me – obviously this is an attack on SF, but it’s pathetic! Nothing to see here …. The dark age DUP continue to operate as normal
Be careful what you wish for Jim( Alister )….. majority rule and democracy working in a democratic way……. within 5 years we’re in the majority…. for a barrister he seems to have a feeble comprehension of both maths and reality