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[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, [9], 10 ]

• 40.3- I am one person that thinks no war can ever really be won, it's tragic no matter how you look at it. And someone is always going to be on the losing side. But a war fought the way this one was in such a claustrophobic arena and with three sides to it, pitting families against one another and friends as well. There was no way for it to go well. (NT) -- celtgirl, 12:16:52 09/25/07 Tue
  • You're right about war generally having no real winners, but in this case I think that while much has changed, some very fundamental things are still the same in Northern Ireland -- it's still part of the UK. I don't know if laws have been put in place to make Catholics and Protestants equal, or to make blatant prejudice at least illeagal, but I doubt that either side truly feels as if they've won and in the meantime so many lives have been blighted and lost. And yet, if nobody ever stood up for their rights, the Catholics would still be third-class citizens, Hitler would have taken over Europe and perhaps North America. On the other side of the coin, the situation in the Middle East has only gotten worse for the people there with no hope of a better future in sight. (NT) -- Carla, 13:19:53 09/25/07 Tue
    • I know some wars are necessary, but I still think no one really wins despite the outcome, there's too much collateral damage during. I think N. Ireland really has a shot at peace now- and in a couple more generations no one will care what your religion is, because not so many go to church these days. I think though when things have been nursed along for eight hundred and some odd years, the scars are going to take time to heal. Belfast doesn't even seem like the same city anymore though, just in my six year gap between visits. (NT) -- celtgirl, 14:48:44 09/25/07 Tue
      • Some wars are definitely one of those 'damned if you do, damned if you don't" situations. I'm glad to hear that the religious prejudice is dying down somewhat and that Belfast is coming back to life again. That type of prejudice between Catholics and Protestants was alive and well in Newfoundland when my parents were growing up, and now it's mostly fizzled. Fifty or sixty years ago people were disowned by their families (on both sides) for marrying "outside their faith", now very few would even raise an eyebrow. Hopefully the same will be true in Northern Ireland in a very short time. (NT) -- Carla, 16:04:56 09/25/07 Tue

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• 39.1 I don't think their relationship will change as I think the foundation and essence is there. I do think that Pat will have a different understanding and perhaps empathy for Casey's prision experience now that he has experienced prison first-hand. Nothing can replace a first-hand experience imho. 39.2 I either meet a new character with an uh-oh or a great! in the back of my mind. David was an uh-oh because I wasn't sure what his intentions were or if he had an agenda or could be trustworthy or who he was playing for. (NT) -- Tracy, 13:51:39 09/25/07 Tue
  • 39.1) I agree Tracy, I don't think the foundation of their relationship will change. Casey will always see Pat as his little brother. In fact it probably would bring them closer together in shared experiences. I worry for Pat...everything that this boy has been through, it's gotta make him hard and cynical. I hate to think he will lose his sensitivity. (NT) -- Marilyn, 08:04:42 09/26/07 Wed
  • David,-- uh oh character for sure in my book. I didn't trust him, and was actually hoping he was being prompted by Jamie to help Pat out. But I didn't know that. I didn't trust him. I am suspicious in nature anyway. (NT) -- bug, 06:22:26 09/27/07 Thu

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• 40.1 I understand wanting to protect a loved one but I did think they underestimated her strength. I believe that it's the person's(eg: Pamela) right to decide whether he or she can or cannot handle something. I don't believe in taking that decision away from someone as I believe it would be degrading and disrespectful. Plus, hiding things doesn't protect anyone once the truth comes out and the lies end up hurting more than the truth. (NT) -- Tracy (), 13:53:20 09/25/07 Tue
  • I agree with you, Tracy. Both Jamie and Casey were trying to protect Pamela from the ugliness of the truth, but she is strong and should have had the choice to handle the news at the time. Lies and half truths only lead to trouble in the end. (NT) -- Denise, 14:26:44 09/25/07 Tue

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• 40.3 I struggle with the words win and lose. I suppose they are easy terms to use when it comes time to declare a country a winner in a war, but not so easy to use where people are concerned. The British troops are gone so instead of asking "did you win?", maybe we should ask "did you get what you wanted?". They already know what the cost was. (NT) -- Tracy (), 13:59:47 09/25/07 Tue

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• #9-1) I think Pat will feel a little less like 'the little brother' after this experience and perhaps be more on an equal footing with Casey. Pat is most assuredly a man in his own right and shouldn't feel lesser or naive any more with regards to the ways (often unjust) of the world. (39-2) David seemed too good to be true, when was the other shoe going to drop? I didn't understand his motives on my first read, and was either sceptical or suspicious of his good intentions. (NT) -- Denise, 14:22:33 09/25/07 Tue

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• 40-1) I don't think they underestimate anything about Pamela. I think they are concerned she will take matters into her own hands. She has that history. (NT) -- Elaine, 15:45:45 09/25/07 Tue
  • 40.1) This is the feeling I had too Elaine...sorta. I do think they were trying to protect her, she was pregnant and I'm sure they worried about her health. But I also thought that they might be afraid she'd take matters into her own hands and do something drastic. She didn't grow up in Belfast and although the U.S. had it's share of turmoil and atrocities I think there were more avenues to rebel against it than there were in Ireland. Not sure that even make sense...it was making sense in my head *g* (NT) -- Marilyn, 08:13:48 09/26/07 Wed

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• 39-1) It will level the playing field. Casey will not see Pat so much as his little brother anymore; more like a teammate. (39-2) I was really hoping for a Good Samaritan about this time. I like David. (NT) -- Elaine, 15:49:32 09/25/07 Tue
  • I like David too Elaine and am glad (NT) -- Trac, 18:38:32 09/25/07 Tue
  • 39.2) I liked David right away too - for some reason I felt he was good. Of course this is how I get sucker punched very easily by the author too *g* if David had ended up being bad or had ulterior motives that weren't honorable...I wouldn't have expected it. (NT) -- Marilyn, 08:08:59 09/26/07 Wed

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• 40-2) If it was just me - no kids - I believe I would have also stayed so that, like Sylvie said, the home would be waiting for Pat's return. If children were involved, then no, I probably would've taken Pamela up on her offer, or maybe Jamie's. Sylvie had lived through this twice now, she knew what to expect and was a soldier in this battle by now anyway, like it or not. (40-3) It makes me think of the War Between the States in the US. What a horrible waste that was. Even when the war was won, the winner felt no pride in its victory. Brother against brother, households split down the middle, and in the end, what was gained? But just imagine what was lost on both sides. It's shameful. And frankly we have learned virtually nothing despite all of history's lessons. (NT) -- Elaine, 20:06:23 09/25/07 Tue