Easter Rose in 1916

Birth of the Irish Republic  (Public Domain)

Political tendencies haven’t changed all that much since ancient times.  In Jesus' day the empire was Roman.  In turn-of-the-20^th-century Ireland, the empire was British. 

During Easter Week of 1916, tensions between the British and Irish erupted into what is now called Easter Rising. Irish Republicans were determined to end British rule in their land once and for all.

On that long-ago Easter Monday, members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood “seized key locations in Dublin and proclaimed an Irish Republic.”  This did not sit at all well with the British army, which “quickly suppressed the Rising.”

Almost 500 were killed and another 2600 wounded during this clash. About 54% of those killed were civilians, most “as a result of the British [who greatly outnumbered the Irish rebels] using artillery and heavy machine guns…”

“When will they ever learn?” is a haunting refrain from a well-known peace anthem.  As Easter 2016 approaches, one might expect to see a century’s worth of progress.  Recent headlines, however, indicate that tempers are rising faster than societal consciousness.

Resources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Rising 

Copyright March 26, 2016 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved