'THERE ARE only two powers in the world ... the sword and the spirit. In the long run, the sword is always defeated by the spirit?
The mass break-out prisoners from the Maze prison last. week provides another startling demonstration of the truth of Napoleon's saying.
And of course it was this lesson which the British press then tried to deluge of headlines of which the Daily Mail's Top Men of Terror Free to Kill Again' In their press statement Sin Féin expressed the sentiments of the nationalist population:
Féin congratulates prisoners on their escape from H-Blocks. hysteria, there is a feeling of jubilation in ionalist and Republican areas because people from these areas realise that the British government have no right to imprison anyone in Ireland. And by escaping the political prisoners have humiliated enemy security.
'Establishment hypocrisy is once again obvious on this issue as it is on any issue related to their occupation of this part of Ireland.
POWs escaped from Nazi prisons like Colditz they were hailed as heroes. Sinn Féin views Irish POWs in the same light.
The immediate casualties of Sinn Féin's spectacular coup are the Secretary of State for Prior's only political initiative during his term of office was the Northern Ireland Assembly, doomed to failure by Sinn Féin's success in enforcing a nationalist boycott on the Social Democrat and Labour Party.
The Assembly has now become a forum for the internecine squabbles Republican immediately obscure was typica the Long Kesh the notorious In contrast to the media and Loyalist When British hapless Jim Prior and Prisons, Nicholas: . Scott of the Loyalist factions.
The conference met at a time when all the signs Doll lo a ' maior new altack on abortion rights. Internationally in the US, Canada and Ireland there been offensive against a women's right to choose Britain the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child 'Life' have been conducting major propaganda rallies reverse the limited gains won for women in the 1967 Abortion Act.
The Tory government have been restricting abortion rights through Department of Health and Social Security regulations well facilities through the NHS WuLs So far, they have not attempted new parliamentary curbs on abortion rights since NAC played a leading role in building a campaign with the TUC to smash the Corrie Bill, New support has come for NAC from the labour movement with the affiliation of the health workers union COHSE.
Unfortunately the 190 Havertsemen delegates who registered for the NAC conference did not devote their time to discussing these problems and opportunities, but to a proposal dissolve ine campaign into a reproductive rights project.
Marion Keogh, from Glasgow NAC.and myself reaffirmed the case for an explained that right to have an abortion was the bottom line for defence of all reproductive rights. If abortion rights were defended then would the right to contraception.
Vote We explained that NAC had been founded because the reproductive rights campaign which it originated, the Abortion Contraception Campaign, proved unsatisfactory CLO fight for abortion rights.
Since then NAC had won wide support in the women's movement and labour movement as the leading campaign for a women's right to choose.
These arguments were opposed by Sarah Vickerstaffe on behalf of those who wanted a reproductive rights campaign. She argued that women did not see abortion as the main priority. - However few about how this campaign welc put forward should be built even what its name should be. It was also clear that the support of the labour movement was a low priority for these delegates Conference had decided that a ⅓ majority was required to either change reaffirm the character of the campaign. This proposal, which we opposed, resulted in a deadlock.
The of delegates dwindled and the NAC has always campaigned for all womens abortion rights final vote was 54 for the campaign anda nine its character for changing it.
While this vote was not decisive it was recognised that there was damental split in the campaign. We maintain that originally founded, seeing exists was abortion rights as its main priority. It is up to those who have tried to split the movement to define their positions.
Those defending the existing campaign stated their intention to continue campaigning for rights and building sup port in the labour move. ment for a women's right In particular the Trade Union Liaison Committee and Scottish NAC said that they would be organising to: • fight the right's offensive against abortion on abortion facilities • campaign , against the restrictions on time limits on abortion • gain positive legislation for free abortion on demanne commit the Labour Party to carry this th enable women to heave right themselves for abortions.
Those in support of this perspective will be meeting in the near future to push forward these Dialls.
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