Surely Maria Gatland should be treated as a hero, not with “shock”?

Cllr Maria Gatland has been forced to resign as a Conservative Cabinet Member in Croydon Council, because she was in the IRA until 1972 when she became disillusioned, left, and wrote a book.  She was later under threat of death.

As an Ulsterman, I think she should be treated as a hero, not with “shock” by her out-of-touch colleagues, because she spoke out against the IRA and risked her life.  She made a mistake by joining when she was a kid (over 36 years ago). 

It just goes to show what out-of-touch zombies many Councillors are that they are worried about “what the voters think”, when many voters will in fact realise that Cllr Gatland is a hero in that she stood up against the IRA.  And who hasn’t made a mistake when they were a kid?  Should every youthful folly be held against everyone?

Although I have been accused by a member of the Northern Ireland Tory Party of being a ‘Protestant supremacist’, I am a great believer in equality in diversity.  In other words, while people should be treated equally, whatever their religion, gender (male/female), or race/ethnicity, they are still different and such diversity should be recognised.  Clearly, Cllr Gatland’s diversity is not being recognised – with her experiences, she no doubt brings a lot to her role as a Councillor that should be valued, not sneered at.

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