With Dignity and Regret

Neighbours, so near yet so far. Great Britain, historically dominating its neighbours, just as it dominated, through its imperialist colonial past, less advanced countries of the world to ransack them of their natural resources and to impose the British system of governance upon them, as chattel dependents.

Ireland, seen as backward as Africa, suffered the same indignity as India. With British landlords, and endemic poverty and neglect and violation of its peoples' needs. Above all, the need to be a free people. The resentment of the British occupation of its neighbours resulted in fear, anger and violence.

What is now left internationally of the British imperial past among the Commonwealth nations is largely a tradition of sound governance, a fair and just system of justice, and a second language of international communication. And, without doubt, residual resentment at the heritage of the dominated by the dominant.

The 'troubles' of a troubled land that suffered great privation because of its poverty and the struggles of its people to survive against brutal odds that included a disease blight that struck its major food crop were exacerbated by the disinterest of Britain to help provide Ireland's people with food to keep them from starving.

Neighbours who take unfair advantage of their less advantaged neighbours and then make no effort to assist them when they fall into dire existential straits are hardly neighbours; they are social predators. That was then, this is now. Now Britain is immensely sensitive to the past. And political correctness is the order of the day.

Now, Queen Elizabeth has undertaken a historic century-visit to Ireland in a long-awaited overture of caring friendship. She spoke of "forbearance and conciliation", of the need "to bow to the past, but not be bound by it". Ireland extended its warm hospitality to the monarch, that very institution that once violated its human rights.

Although there are and will always remain many Irish who will continue to resent Great Britain for its malfeasance toward its neighbour, who express through violent means the violence of their emotions against Britain, times have changed. The mutual brutality and expressions of anguished intolerance have been muted by time.

"It is a sad and regrettable reality that through history our islands have experienced more than their fair share of heartache, turbulence and loss. These events have touched us all, many of us personally, and are a painful legacy. We can never forget those who have died or been injured, and their families."

Conciliatory, heartfelt sentiments from a head of state whose obligation to the future has been made abundantly clear.