Long Awaited Truth in Britain!

On January 30, 1972 the British Army paratroopers gunned down 27 innocent people in the Northern Ireland town of Derry (a.k.a. Londonderry). The attack ocurred during a civil rights march involving several thousand people. Fourteen people were killed in the brutal attack. It is known as Bloody Sunday and it became a benchmark event in the Irish Republican Army's (IRA) struggle for independence from the British government and the partition of Ireland that was established in 1922. The attack on unarmed civilians (seven of them were teenagers) took place in broad daylight with innocent bystanders being gunned down. Journalists and witnesses confirm that five victims were were shot in the back. According to witnesses only one IRA member was among those killed, but it was determined that he never posed a threat to the army.

A preliminary investigation not long after the attack basically glossed over the mistakes and errors in judgment British ground forces made that bloody day. In 1998, then British Prime Minister, Tony Blair called for a full and complete investigation that would take 12 years to complete. Did you catch that? 12 years! The Saville Inquiry cost $280 million dollars and heard from 2,500 witnesses. It is the most expensive and extensive government inquiry in British history. It's results were made public today with a public apology from current British Prime Minister, David Cameron:

"Some members of our armed forces acted wrongly ... and for that, on behalf of the government, indeed on behalf of our country, I am deeply sorry," British Prime Minister David Cameron said after the release of the long-awaited report....But Cameron said none of the 14 casualties was posing a threat. One of those shot was killed while crawling away from British soldiers, and another was shot while lying mortally wounded on the ground, he said. (Report By Richard Allen Greene, CNN)

Kudos to the British government! This is so refreshingly honest. A government actually admits it was wrong! Instead of doing things right, it focused on doing the right thing. Instead of damage control PR, finger-pointing, scripted 30-second soundbites, and parliamentary hearings designed for show, this actually reeks of authenticity, honesty and transparency. News reports say that thousands gathered in Londonderry cheered when they heard the British PM's apology! How's that for a response to a little honesty? One can only hope that corporations and other governments, namely the big one across "the pond" from England would take a cue from the Brits. Honesty and transparency? Really? Who knew?

This is the first step in the healing journey.

King Solomon was right when he wrote the following in Proverbs 12:22:
Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
but those who act faithfully are his delight.