The US Army has decided to check the tattoos of its servicemen
for evidence of membership of ``hate groups or extremist
organisations''. If any are found the soldiers will be disciplined
or counselled.
d what sort of tattoos are the tattoo inspectors looking for?
Well, swastikas, of course, and other Nazi stuff. But not
everything on the list of objectionable tattoos is quite so
obvious. For example, they are told to look for Celtic crosses.
Must be because the Irish Association of Ancient Monument
Watchers are a known subversive, commie outfit. Also on the list
are ``rabbits with a black star on one ear''. Strange place,
America.
Last week the brave RUC rushed at great speed to Peter Robinson's
house. They had received reports of suspicious activity at a gate
at the DUP man's large house. Sniffer dogs, electronic equipment
and the well-peeled eyes of the busy peelers checked and
rechecked. But nothing was found. The phantom intruder was none
other than the cold north wind which, it seems, had rattled
Peter's gate a little harder than usual.
Meanwhile in Britain police forces are using powers designed to
be used in a nuclear war to disconnect thousands of telephone
lines during riots, disasters and ``other disturbances''. Their
excuse is that the disconnections protect the network from being
swamped and prevent ``rioters and terrorists'' talking to each
other.
I see that the dependable Daily Telegraph is still a doughty
supporter of Ulster Unionists. Last Friday a piece defended them
against the charge of being ``gloomy, stupid, bigoted and boring''.
They produce ``comparatively few eminent pop singers,
hairdressers, television cooks, homosexual dress designers,
rubbish artists and esteemed fun people in general,'' it says with
typical Telegraph wit. Then it suggests a solution to marching
issue: ``Ought they to give up all the Orange marches for good and
put on a ``gay pride'' parade down the Garvaghy Road instead?''
d the name on the article? Appropriately, it was Peter Simple.
It calls to mind a comment by a traveller in Ireland in the last
century who found the inn-keepers in Belfast with ``faces as
surly, severe and grave as a bad conscience. It was not possible
to get them talking, while in the rest of Ireland one only had to
knock on the door for it to be opened and to breach the surface
ever so slightly to tap an eternal spring.''
The new train service between Belfast and Dublin picked a bad day
to launch. On Monday the choo-choo was drowned out by Diana's
canonisation. But that didn't deter the trainspotters who
travelled on the inaugural two hour trip with pens and notebooks
at the ready, noting down the times at which it passed each
station. Equally vital information was noted by the anoraks on
station platforms. Others weren't so keen. As the train steamed
(glided?) back into Belfast that evening it was pelted with a
hail of stones by a crowd of kids obviously welcoming the arrival
of an important cross-border institution.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)