The scenes we have witnessed on the streets of Belfast since last weekend, the hatred, the burning of businesses, the intimidation, have been sickening.
And what the growing number of ‘hate crimes’ being reported to police, the intimidating graffiti being painted around our streets and the obvious conclusion that those who are bent on taking violence as their tool for making their point in the most undesirable way tells us all is that not enough has been done to ensure ‘good relations’ between cultures, faiths and beliefs.
It would, you hope, have seen a concerted effort from our Stormont government to build bridges between communities — and not just the cross-community projects that we have been accustomed to between Catholic and Protestant communities. NI has become a much more diverse society. All must feel part of a society which no one ‘owns’ or can claim ‘ownership’ of.
All must be given the opportunity to contribute. Our government must contribute too.
Funding for many of those so well intentioned ‘good relations’ projects which would have brought young people from all backgrounds together, has seen notable reductions.
And even though The Executive Office has not told how much funding has disappeared from the projects which are supposed to bring us all closer together, it is all too clear that the less work we put into fostering those relationships, the more communities will drift apart.
At Stormont on Thursday politicians from all sides stood as one and condemned the violent scenes that have stained the reputation NI used to take pride in — that we are a warm community who would welcome all with open arms to our country.
It’s a natural human trait to shy away from things that are not easily understood — some even react violently against them.
A little knowledge goes a long way towards understanding. But we can only learn if the opportunities are there for education.
Now, more than ever, we have the stark and uncomfortable evidence playing out on our streets that so much more needs to be done if we are to welcome the world to Northern Ireland.
Instead of retreating backwards and leaving the door ajar for sinister elements to rush through unchecked, we should be opening the door in the other direction, allowing togetherness to join hands and walk through to a better future.
We are supposed to live and learn. Not live and learn nothing at all.