Fr. Mc Manus on Nesbitt’s Reference to Harold Mc Cusker
Posted By: March 31, 2012
The Editor
News Letter
Belfast March 29, 2012
Dear Editor,
I was particularly interested in Mike Nesbitt’s reference to the late Harold Mc Cuske : ” the best leader we never had.” (“Nesbitt pays tribute to ‘undervalued’ Elliott.” March 29).
It so happens that just the day before, I learned that Mr. Mc Cusker had admitted to an eminent American writer that — in order to stay in power — he often said bigoted things in public, of which he was privately ashamed.
I had met Mr. Mc Cusker several times in Washington. After debating him on the TV Show,” Crossfire,” he and I were once waiting for a cab on the street, having a very amicable conversation. As he was about to hop into his cab, he came back to me and in a friendly way prodded my chest with his finger and said : ” Never forget this, Sean. There are more of us than there are of you.”
I replied: “But what if your artificial majority no longer holds Up? What then?”
He smiled gently, shrugged, gestured with his hands, as if to say: “What will be, will be.” And he was off into the Washington night. I never saw him again, but I was sorry to learn of his premature death. God rest him.
Fr. Sean Mc Manus