The other 'John' - John Hume; was he really a hero, or an errand boy for the IRA (according to Ian Paisley)?

Both Johns, and especially John Hume knew civil disobedience and passive resistance was surely a better way of doing things instead of bombings, torture and murder, and deserved far more credit than certain other people I could mention.

Had the violent republicans taken a path closer to Hume's, things probably would've turned out better and a lot of people would still be alive today.

The bombing campaigns from both sides were responsible for the economic depravation Northern Ireland suffered, the sheer number of businesses destroyed cost Ulster hundreds of millions of pounds over the years and catastrophic job losses that hit families where it hurts the most - in their pockets, with firms from the mainland scared to come over, no matter what the RUC/PSNI or the paras say.

Post in "history" not here please.

It's just a shame now 'The Troubles' are now all about loyalists and RA drug dealing, along with paramilitary punishment attacks. While some join the UDA and UVF voluntarily, police say many are forced to join in settlement of debts they owe in The North.

In the immortal words of the former President of Sinn Féin Gerry Adams when referring to a previous incarnation of the IRA, "they haven't gone away you know."

Yes - but some sections were just criminal gangs under the blanket of republicanism, it demanded cash from organised crime gangs, drug dealers and legitimate businesses and retaliated with extreme violence to a refusal to pay.

Doubt Hume wanted any of this, just like Lewis wouldn't have wanted the more negligent sections of the authorities (and so-called 'Karens') to act as they do on law-abiding people he spent decades fighting for their rights.