40 Days

With Brexit being right around the corner, there have been references made concerning Brexit. Look up the Irish history for more details, as I do not have the capacity of reflecting the tensions of the past. In short, there are two separate countries on the island of Ireland, the Republic of Ireland (independent for around 100 years, which used to be quite poor until they entered the EU nearly 50 years ago and have since experienced great economic success, peaceful and modern ever since they have left strong religious views behind, although the countryside still remains uprightly catholic) and Northern Ireland (part of the UK, religious troubles between Catholics and Protestants, keyword 1997). Northern Ireland is hugely protestant and the South is Catholic- the South is "the free land", the North is loyal to the Crown. Derry or Londonderry- whatever term you use, in some areas it might tell more about you than you would suspect. Either way, there used to be huge religious troubles -and bloody ones!- that were ended by an agreement that is called Good Friday Agreement. It created peace.

However, peace is at risk if Brexit happens. Families may be torn apart again by different loyalties and a border. The Irish fear another conflict and a war that is still very present in people's mind. Families fighting families is not taken from a Shakespearan novel but out of the Irish past and, hopefully, a dystopian imagination that will not happen ever again.

There are 40 days left, apparently, and Brexit dominates not only my classes but the newspapers and media. People on the continent will notice Brexit when they travel to the UK, probably, but people in Ireland will face its consequences every single day. Grocceries are expected to get more expensive and, if there is a hard border, the connection, that is peaceful for now, between the North and the South, may be at risk. Brexit is in the Dubliners' minds and mouths all the time, with the border being just an hour away, and with having family all over the UK.

So, it is 40 days from now on.

A democracy requires every single one of its inhabitants to be heard, but before judging, people always need to consider the consequences and to remain what Europe had lacked for centuries: peace.