Reassuring words

IT’s good to know that the Justice Minister has his finger on the pulse. This week he said he was “extremely concerned” at the upsurge in dissident paramilitary attacks.

Memo to Mr Ford: excepting those carrying out the attacks, we are all “extremely concerned”; especially those who have been injured, those who have had a ‘lucky’ escape from a bomb blast, those who will now suffer post-traumatic stress disorder for the rest of their lives and those who have livelihoods destroyed.

In terms of stating the obvious, Mr Ford’s comments are up with ‘Tsunami not good’, ‘Earthquake bad’ and ‘floods worrying’.

But, at least Mr Ford has some sway on policing; the DUP on the other hand are heading along to see Mr Chief Policeman Plod, Matt Baggott, to express their concern over dissident attacks.

One wonders whether their representatives at the Policing Board could have made the same representations: or could have the DUP Ministers not nipped along to talk to Mr Ford.

It is all so confusing for the average person: who is concerned, who is actually in charge and who is going to make a decision. Sounds just like the average failed attempt by our politicians to do anything that makes any sense at all to Joe public.