The DUP press release machine is unrelenting. I appear to be a favourite topic or theme for several of these releases. When I was an officer in the NI Area of the Conservatives DUP press releases would often feature something I’d said in a private email to some DUP mole. Now, it appears, minor DUP councillors have been sent to scour every page and comment on this site seeking out damning prose to feature in the “Party’s” latest missive to the media.
Last week, when I was on a family half term holiday in the sun somewhere quite far away from here, a journalist in the News Letter forwarded me the latest “attack”. This one was interesting. A DUP “councillor” I’d never heard of decided to issue a media release claiming that I had attacked the Orange Order – showing “appalling bigotry”.
Hmm. Interesting. Showing appalling bigotry for suggesting that the Orange Order is elementally sectarian. This “councillor” took particular exception to my suggestion that joining the Orange Order might suggest certain sociopathic tendencies. Well, OK, perhaps I was using a sledge-hammer to crack a nut – but the point I was making was that the existence of a clearly sectarian organisation that makes clear its abject loathing of another religion provides a forum or venue to people who consider themselves religiously or “culturally” better than others (especially those who don’t like Catholics).
In case you were in any doubt about the sectarian nature of the organisation, here’s a direct quote from the Order’s constitution: “No ex-Roman Catholic will be admitted into the Institution unless he is a Communicant in a Protestant Church for a reasonable period…” Similarly, the Constitution, Laws and Ordinances of the Loyal Orange Institution of Ireland (1967) state, “No person who at any time has been a Roman Catholic … shall be admitted into the Institution, except after permission given by a vote of seventy five per cent of the members present founded on testimonials of good character …”
Now it seems to be that by having such a constitution the Orange Order might just be exposing itself to a degree of risk of appealing to people who might show the following traits of character: Grandiose Sense of Self; Shallow Emotions; Incapacity for Love; Need for Stimulation; Callousness/Lack of Empathy; Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature; Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency; Irresponsibility/Unreliability; Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them; Do not perceive that anything is wrong with them; Authoritarian; Secretive; Paranoid; Incapable of real human attachment to another; Unable to feel remorse or guilt; Narcissism, grandiosity (self-importance not based on achievements).
Now, of course, I could be wrong. The Orange Order may indeed be composed of thoroughly decent people who are highly tolerant and focused on the feelings of others. If that is the case I’d suggest that these people might want to be on the lookout for members exhibiting the tendencies listed above.
Now, I’m not suggesting that only the Orange Order attracts the wrong types of people into its ranks. Just look at those sociopathic attributes above and consider the Sinn Fein leadership. Gerry Adams now even considers himself the latest official spokesman for Jesus.
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