Published: Thursday, 4th February, 2010 11:52am

Orange Order should not be pulled into issue

by Editorial Department

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Dear Sir, - Reading and listening to the content of the discussions going on at Hillsborough in recent days tends to make one weary, and I suppose if you were involved, bleary.

The kernel of the problem is the non-acceptance of the Good Friday Agreement, indeed as if it never had happened. If the result of the Agreement had been the other way round, I imagine we all would have had to "toe the line".

Presently and to my surprise, the Orange Order has been pulled into the issue. That should not have occurred at all. The marching problem was for another day. It is not right that a few members decide to get involved, much to the detriment of the Order. What is now the problem and being used forcefully by the Republicans, is, there comes hostility between the community and the Order, creating a more difficult situation for the Orange Brethren to present their Colours decently and respectfully to the public in the future.

It is apparent that the DUP have got themselves into a difficult situation, now they look for the Orange and UUP to pull them out of the difficulty. Such a situation is not good enough. Did not the DUP and many of its members try to make the UUP extinct quite recently. Some even have the cheek to state that all Unionists should get in to the situation to support the DUP, but we do not remember that at the Good Friday talks, the DUP and the UKUP stayed out of the talks and left all the hard grafting to the Ulster Unionist Party.

It is totally wrong to use the Orange Institution to suit the whims and fancies of the few who want to abuse it. Such must stop if there is any common sense prevailing at all. The Orange Order should not be used nor abused.

Yours faithfully,

Sam Foster

Ulster Unionist