Talk:Gerry Adams

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Contents

[edit] Is Adams A terrorist?

Can we be sure that Gerry Adams is nothing more than a terrorist. In my opinion someone with as many links to a terrorist organisation as Adams has to the IRA certainly has some ghosts in his closet - unsigned for own safety - 14:47 21 May 2006

I think that the heinous actions he's either tacitly condoned, or criminal conspiracies he's been implicated in, are sufficient to warrant that appellation, although explicitly stating so in the main article is most likely violative of Wikipedia's NPOV policy.

To me he's just as much of a terrorist as Johnny "Mad Dog Adair, or any member of the LVF, Red Hand Defenders, or sundry other terrorist organizations on the other side of the sectarian divide, and just as much of a wanton criminal as Martin Cahill.

However, placing that in the article is-as I alluded to earlier-probably a non-starter.

Ruthfulbarbarity 11:27, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

one mans terrorist is an other mans freedom fighter i think gerry adams is the greatest irishman alive today he has led the way to the ballot box instead of the gun and about his involvment with the ira he did what he had to do .if you saw your community attacked and no one helped what would you do?Bouse23 15:08, 25 January 2007 (UTC)

What Ghandi did, if I had any backbone. Also unsigned cause I don't trust them. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 203.214.54.89 (talk • contribs) 06:43, March 27, 2007.

Well, when I was in Australia I heard Gerry Adams introduced as "the Irish writer, politician and peace activist". Bill Tegner 17:13, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ervine Funeral

Worth mentioning Adams' presence at the David Erivine funeral, seemed significant to me seeing it in the news today? Frainc 01:05 13 January 2007

Hi Frainc, I doubt it - propably notable for the next couple of weeks but not after that but not after that, therefore a case of "recentism" imo. Others may have a adifferent opinion--Vintagekits 01:20, 13 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Only one image?

I've added a reqphoto tag to this page as there is a distinct lack of images in what is a reasonably lengthy article. --Mal 23:52, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Nationality

My understanding is that Adams has a British Passport and is therefore a British Citizen. I may be wrong. He can be elected to the British Parliamanet as an Irish citizen. Can somebody get a verifiable citation regarding Adams nationality please? PaddyBriggs 12:25, 20 February 2007 (UTC)

Why would Gerry Adams have a British passport? Derry Boi 13:06, 20 February 2007 (UTC)
Holding a passport does not in and of itself determine nationality. IIRC Adams was born within the territory of the United Kingdom to parents who were legally citizens of the United Kingdom so under UK law he is a British Citizen. I'm not sure if Adams has legally renounced that (or even if he could - taking up entitlement to another legal nationality doesn't always forfeit existing ones) regardless of whether or not he has taken out a British passport or his political stance.
But frankly it's irrelevant. Most politicians who wish for their current territory to be in or become a new country are legally citizens of the current country under its laws - that's how the system works. Highlighting Adams's legal nationality is highly POV and unnecessary. Timrollpickering 15:16, 20 February 2007 (UTC)
From the Good Friday Agreement:

(vi) recognise the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British, or both, as they may so choose, and accordingly confirm that their right to hold both British and Irish citizenship is accepted by both Governments and would not be affected by any future change in the status of Northern Ireland.

Hopefully that puts the matter to rest? One Night In Hackney 15:21, 20 February 2007 (UTC)

The question is not what options re. Nationality Adams has/had but what he chooses/chose to do. The last few entries here demonstrated that if Adams wants/wanted a Britsh Passport he is/was, of course, entitled to one. Similarly with an Irish Passport. Derry Boi should understand this and certainly not accuse me of "Vandalism" when I stated, in good faith, that Gerry Adams is a British Citizen . My Irish roots are not from Derry, but they are not from the Shankill Road either! So for Wiki the question is this. What is Adams nationality? That is a material piece of information about anybody. Is he a British Citizen or a citizen of the Irish Republic or even both? PaddyBriggs 09:36, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Gerry Adams has an Irish passport. One Night In Hackney 09:51, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

"Travelling on his Irish passport" suggest that he also has another one - BRITISH presumably! Which means that he is a British Citizen! Which means that Derry Boi's accusation of vandalism at me when I said so was pretty cheap, as well as wrong. PaddyBriggs 09:56, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Sadly not, claiming he also has a British passport is unverifiable original research. If you wish to assert he actually has a British passport, I suggest you find a source. Also, given your claim to have Irish roots, it is not unreasonable that you should have realised that the insertion of such a controversial piece of information with no source would not be viewed in a positive light. At best it was ill judged, and at worst deliberately provocative. One Night In Hackney 10:01, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Adams was born in the United Kingdom and as such he was a British Citizen at birth. He may have subsequently renounced this citizenship but where is the evidence? He is (also?) an Irish citizen. There are a great many people with Irish roots who become Irish citizens and get an Irish passport - and many of these also retain the citizenship of their country of birth. The burden of proof rests with those who object to Adams being described as a British Citizen. There is a prima facie case that he is British, as well as Irish. Incidentally if we duck away from telling the truth because it is "controversial" or "provocative" Wiki is dead. If Gerry Adams is a British Citizen it is certainly material and it should be included in his entry. Can anyone out there prove that Adams is not a British Citizen - if so please cite your source. PaddyBriggs 11:41, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

The onus is on you to prove he is still a British citizen. You are the editor who inserted the phrase "He is a British citizen" (my emphasis), WP:V requires you to provide a citation that the statement is currently true. One Night In Hackney 11:54, 21 February 2007 (UTC)
I don't see why Adams' legal citizenship(s) should be a matter for the introduction - indeed at a glance I can't see any mention of citizenship on the pages for Mark Durkan, Alex Salmond or Ieuan Wyn Jones, all whom at least profess to remove the area they leave in from the UK. If anything has ever been made of Adams' citizenship(s) in political debate or the media then by all means include it in the article (but detail why a matter has ever been made of this, don't just say "he is a British citizen") but the intro should be a succinct description of the man's notability, not full of details that in isolation are highly POV. Timrollpickering 15:03, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

There's a lot of discussion on this in the Peter O'Toole entry. Although born in England with a British mother, it is (or was) claimed that he was "never a British citizen". But being British born he wouldn't have to claim or register for citizenship. I'm not at all sure if you can actually legally renounce it either. With regard to Gerry Adams, well, being born in Northern Ireland he can have a British passport and/or an Irish one. It's up to him. I'm not sure if it's really a big issue. I mean President McAleese was born in the UK. I'd be very surprised if she had a British passport, but I imagine she's entitled to one. Bill Tegner 13:37, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

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