http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12981497
Quote:
The brutal killing has led to a series of ground-breaking cross-community moves.
Arguably, the most significant was the decision by Stormont First Minister, Peter Robinson, to agree to attend a Catholic church service for the first time.
For many Protestant politicians, a Catholic Mass is out of bounds. They may express their heartfelt condolences to a grieving family, but don't go to the funeral service.
The argument is that a Roman Catholic Mass contradicts the Protestant faith. It is a dispute that goes back to the 16th Century and the Reformation.
Politics in Northern Ireland is rooted in history, but Mr Robinson's decision to go the funeral of Constable Kerr suggests he is more interested in the present than the past.
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I'm sorry but this case IS different.
I cannot recall at any time in the 'Troubles' the degree of support and coming together of all sides of the divide that has been shown on this occasion especially over the death of an establishment figure of a policeman.The comunities are learning to live together and to want to put the past behind them.
Harking back in echoes of the past doesn't help and it only gives hope to the dinosaurs that have failed to accept that their ways of the gun and the bomb are no longer wanted or supported as they once were.