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Derek Warfield's Music -- Right for Aer Lingus?
Roy Beggs Jr. responds to our Derek Warfield interview.
Dear Tom, Thank you for your e-mail and the selected excerpts from your interview with Mr. Warfield. I would be happy to respond to your questions, and I would hope that you would allow me to address the misconceptions that Mr. Warfield and yourself have about me, judging by your somewhat sycophantic interview with him. Just to be clear, I did not complain to Aer Lingus because of any antipathy to Irish music and culture. The fact is that the music of Derek Warfield and the Wolf Tones is in the opinion of many in Ireland as being sympathetic to armed militant Irish republicanism, in other words—terrorism, killing other human beings who do not agree with your political opinion. I would have thought that in the wake of 9/11 the true, evil nature of terrorism would have become clear to you.
On a wider scale, could I respond to some of the assumptions you and Mr. Warfield make about me? You say: "Your philosophy is inimical to the cause of many in Ireland ..." What is the philosophy you are referring to, Tom? What is the "cause" to which you refer? Presumably, you are referring to Ulster Unionism, which basically adheres to the belief in the unity of the British nations as reflected in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The cause you refer to is presumably an all-Ireland republic. Am I not allowed to hold my views?? If not, that is a very dangerous position for you to take, it smacks of the notion of racial purity and the gas chambers. I am proud to say that my forefathers fought against that type of fascism in Europe 60 years ago—while the Irish Republic remained neutral.
"He lives in such a privileged, controlled ..." Perhaps you could name one privilege that I enjoy that is denied anyone else in the multiethnic pluralist liberal democracy that is the United Kingdom. "The man would begrudge the air that I breathe." No, Mr. Warfield, I would not, all I want is for you and your friends to recognise my right to exist, and not try to force me against my free will into an all-Ireland republic through the use of bombs and bullets. Plus, I would prefer that you didn't write songs glorifying this tactic. "Obviously, Begg is a Unionist and he's going to do what Unionists always do, that would be expected from him." Why don't you say what you mean rather than throwing out vague insults. Is it because you don't really know what you are talking about???
Have you never heard of the Scots Irish and the contribution they made to the founding of the United States of America? I would thoroughly recommend that you undertake some historical research into that aspect of your Irish American heritage. It might, just might open your eyes. Thanks for taking the time to write to me, I will continue to campaign for the ending of terrorism and work for peace and reconciliation between the communities in Northern Ireland. Maybe you should do the same. Yours sincerely, Roy Beggs P.S. If you seriously think that the music of Derek Warfield speaks to the "heart and soul of the Irish people," then you must have a very black heart and a very dark soul.
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David Kincaid presents 
