So the 12th was a huge success. There were the tourists; supposedly 500,000 watched the parades and everyone lived happily ever after. One wonders what cloud the tourist board is on. How many people leave the North over the 12th period just to get away from all the hatred and bigotry? It probably adds to more than "500,000".

We are told of the great heritage of the "glorious revolution," the splendor the colour of the bunting and flags, it makes for a great day for "all". When I say all, it means all except if you're Catholic. Then you're subjected to primeval hatred. In Co. Down Jim Wells made the racist statement that, if you don't like it, move to the Republic. It is obvious he advocates ethnic cleansing of Catholics from Kilkeel, not satisfied with the ethnic cleansing of Aghoghill a few years back. Yet he has not been made responsible for his statement by the media or by any government body. Silence all round.

Then we have Arlene Foster complaining of Fermanagh flags flying and, of course, the Irish tricolour was "intimidatory," she said. But the Union flag outside a Catholic bar in Stoneyford isn't.

After all that, we have Mr Buchannan claiming that parades never stop, especially outside Catholic bars in John Street and Bridge Street and the Sacred Heart Church in Omagh, to play 'The Sash' as they are in continuous flow. The UH carried stories of band behaviour outside these places in the 1980s and 1990s; sadly, they seem to be very silent now also.

That seems to be the buzz word for this year's 12th – "silence". Let's not tell the truth but hype up the "cultural 12th parades" for tourism. Let's exaggerate the tourist aspect but not the outflow of citizens to other parts during this period, nor indeed the riots and mayhem that takes place after the Orangemen get drunk.

One wonders why the same hasn't been applied for St Patrick's Day parades; maybe it's their history of non-violence and being a proper celebration of culture and heritage. Yet a call for not flying the tricolour by a republican in Dungiven was given wide media coverage and, again, the flying of the tricolour was deemed intimidatory.

It would seem anything expressing Gaelic culture is intimidatory to unionists and flying the Union flag in predominantly Catholic areas is just an expression of culture. We are continually told of the greater equality that now exists and the new-found confidence of Catholics. Is this the equality we are to expect from the Good Friday Agreement or is it a new form of equity? In this new era of Stormont, equality is replaced with equity whereby diversity is recognised, without providing a reason for discrimination. What this proposes is that all nationalist and constitutional republican parties are to be treated without favour to one another while unionists remain in the ascendancy.

This equitable ascendancy will permit nationalist and republican parties to participate in political decision-making under certain pre-defined conditions. These conditions are to apply to all parties except unionist parties. Especially when it comes to cultural events such as St Patrick's Day when the precondition is that it is all inclusive, while for the 12th there is no pre-condition attached merely that it is a celebration of unionist culture and as such to be enjoyed by all as the nouveau ascendency commands.

Michéal MháDúnnaín

Dallas/Fort Worth

Ancient Order of Hibernians