Previous | Next :: Belfast Burning in the Troubles : Handshake to End it All ? : Northern Ireland : UK | June 27, 2012, 9:20 pm

Hand shakes are sometimes just the ordinary hello........ Other times they are a bit more significant .......... The Queen shook hands today with Martin McGuinness......... a leading Republican previously a leader of the IRA Army Council......... basically at one point he ordered the acts of terror..... violence and killings that the IRA committed ........ inclueding the IRA murder of the Queens cousin Lord Mountbatton ............... So this really is quite a significant handshake............ maybe it really does signify something that Yoko Ono ....... is still saying ....... and still hoping for ............... "War is over"........ "(if you want it?)"

I once shook hands with Gerry Adams another famed Republican and previous IRA leader....... not because I supported him........ basically only because I was first into the room .......... the writer I was working with was furious......... he refused to shake Adams hand as he entered behind me ............ the writer was Roy Hattersley previously Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and still at the time an MP ........ he was a writer......... but not a journalist.......... as I said to him ........... I of course have shaken hands with much worse people than Gerry Adams ......... because I am a journalist ........ I have gone to meet all sorts of people........ I always shake their hands...... not because I support them......... but because they have agreed to meet and speak to me in my capacity as a journalist........... Roy Hattersley refused to shake Gerry Adams hand........ because he was still acting as a politician...... even though he was actually there in the roll of journalist......... I thought Gerry Adams might not continue with the interview but fortunately he did........... Still it was amazing to me that Hattersley was willing to risk not getting the interview and therefore risk not doing the journalism that would inform his readers....... in favor of doing a politicians peevish personal ultimately pointless unregistered private act and display of opposition ....... After all what is the difference between sitting down and chatting with someone or shaking their hand.........? If you are a journalist you are going to try and speak to and listen to even people you might absolutely disagree with........ only a politician would make a big deal about not shaking their hand....... and then tell off the accompanying photojournalist for...... er........ not being a politician.

Cheers Jez XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

www.jezblog.com