McCabe Family Backs Plastic Bullets Motion

national | rights, freedoms and repression | press release

Thursday September 17, 2009 10:27

by PRO - éirígí

press at eirigi dot org

The children of plastic bullet victim Norah McCabe yesterday released the following statement through éirígí:

éirígí

The children of plastic bullet victim Norah McCabe yesterday released the following statement through éirígí:

“Our mother, Norah McCabe, was killed in July 1981 as a direct result of fatal injuries sustained through the firing of a plastic bullet, leaving behind three young children aged 7 years, 3 years and 3 months. Our father was left to raise us as a single parent and we were robbed of the chance to get to know our mother.

“The effect the death of our mother has had on our family is indescribable. No child should ever experience such a devastating emptiness which we were forced to grow up with, and continue to live with each day of our lives.

“This loss is not only felt by the immediate family members, but the future generations of these families also. Our mother will never meet her two grandchildren who can only know her from the stories we share with them and the photographs which we show them.

“In the past three months, we have seen, yet again, the reckless use of plastic bullets in Ardoyne and the Short Strand. On both occasions, rounds of plastic bullets were fired into a crowd of men, women and children. Plastic bullets are a lethal weapon that cause injury and kill! Sixteen other Irish families have already experienced exactly what we have, and will continue to suffer this loss for the rest of their lives, as will we.

“We welcome the initiative by éirígí calling for the immediate banning of plastic bullets in the Six Counties and commend both Dublin City Councillor Louise Minihan and Dublin City Council for passing a motion to this effect.

“We appeal to all councillors in all the councils of Ireland to call for an immediate ban. We hope that other parties will follow éirígí’s lead and put similar motions to councils across Ireland. This is a crucial motion and we urge you to fulfil your responsibility to the people of Ireland to remove a deadly weapon that has caused loss of life for too many Irish citizens already, before another family suffers the same loss as we have.”

Signed: Paul, Jim & Áine McCabe

éirígí chairperson Brian Leeson said: “The issue of plastic bullets is not going to go away until these weapons are banned for good.

“The courage of the McCabe family should serve as an inspiration for people to get active in the campaign.

“It is to be hoped that every council in the Twenty-Six Counties will give its backing to the anti-plastic bullets motion when it come before them. Such support will send a strong message that people in the Twenty-Six Counties are not prepared to turn a blind eye to human rights abuses in occupied Ireland.”