Loss of a Great Man

"Equality is equality is equality. If we refuse any human being the entitlement to equality, we deny ourselves proper equality. It is either for everyone or for no one".

RIP David Ervine.

Amid all the posturing, self-serving political tit-for-tat that accompanies the northern peace process, Ervine always stood out for me as a guy that was prepared to sacrifice a lot for a progressive approach to the problems of his corner of the world. He was genuinely contrite about his terrorist past - a past that, given he lost a good friend to an IRA bombing campaign, could be understood if not condoned - and worked hard to bring about a semblance of unity in a province poisoned by prejudice and hatred.

It was a tragedy that he was taken so young. More on an extraordinary human being here.