Louis's Endgame

When I was obtaining my degree in university, many years ago, I minored in Sociology. The first year looked at the sociopolitical and economic systems in the world. Second year consisted of media analysis and the third year was simply titled, Social Change. All of these classes were from a radical perspective. [My first year prof was a draft dodger from the United States]

In third year, my professor for social change was Louis Feldhammer. A passionate left winger who liked to smoke in class. He didn’t suffer fools gladly. In fact, on the first day of classes he asked anyone who wasn’t interested in hearing his POV, to leave and try another instructor. I think two people actually walked out, but they may have been in the wrong room.

I always looked forward to Louis’s class. He had a dry wit and cynical attitude about the world, but it was a refreshing change from some of the idealists in the university system. Louis told it like it was, but had some trouble when we asked him about Ireland. This was over 20 years ago, when the violence in Belfast was high and the Londonderry bombings were at their worst. At that time, there seemed no end in sight to the conflict.

If Louis was in a good mood, which was rare, he would dispense with his lesson plan and take questions. He spoke of Poland and the revolutionary changes going on in Warsaw. He always talked about the Ronald Reagan’s “Hollywood America” and occasionally had a comment about Quebec independance.

One day, someone piped up and asked him to talk about Ireland. Louis shrugged, rubbed his eyes, lit a cigarette and said, “I simply can’t talk about the Irish question. It’s too complicated and it runs too deep, personally speaking.” He never spoke of it again and we never asked him.

I wonder what Louis thinks of the latest development regarding the IRA’s disarmament program, now officially in place. I suspect he would be happy and relieved, but still a healthy skeptic. The peaceful developments in Ireland, over the past few years, have been remarkably sensible. The two sides have been patient and brave: a lethal combination in times of war, but an even stronger force in times of peace.

That’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.