For all of those who like to view the Troubles through the lens of 'who was the worst' by collating a scoreboard - here is another killing that you can take out of the IRA column and put into the STATE column.
This type of 'scientific' reading of our recent history is seriously flawed when we uncover more and more evidence of collusion and subterfuge. Placing blame and responsibility into convenient bar charts and line graphs is a crude way of looking at our history. It ignores the human stories and the complexity. It just serves the needs of those who revel in the useless circular arguments we know fondly as 'whataboutery'. "We were bad, but we weren't as bad as themmuns" is the mantra.
More evidence will be uncovered. The bar charts will be amended. The lines on the graphs will get closer. However we are still left with the realities of lost lives and broken families that scientific methods cannot value. I suggest we put all of the killings and injuries into one big pie chart with one colour (red would do fine) which will represent the equality of harm and suffering. Take away the 'who' did 'what' to 'whom' and focus only on the 'what'. 'What' are we going to do about the needs of those who are left? That is the question.
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