REFLECTION ON UPCOMMING MC CORD HEARING FR. SEAN MC MANUS OCTOBER 14, 2009 As I prepare to welcome Raymond Mc Cord Sr. back to Capitol Hill for the second time this year, I cannot help but have these reflections: In May, we brought Raymond to Capitol Hill to help him lobby for a Congressional Hearing into the collusion and cover-up of the murder of his son, Raymond Jr. in 1997. Now Raymond Sr. is returning to be the main witness at that Hearing: “Concerns Regarding Possible Collusion in Northern Ireland: Police and Paramilitary Groups.” Thursday, October 22, 2009 before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight. Doesn’t that say a lot, not only about Raymond’s effectiveness, but also about the openness of the United States Congress? Congress often gets a bad rap. But in my near 40 years of dealing with Congress I have to say that the vast majority of its Members are decent, honorable men and women, who came to Washington to make America, and indeed the world, a better place. (No matter how much I might personally disagree with some of their decisions on domestic and foreign policy issues). Where else would Raymond Mc Cord be met with such warmth and openness? Not in Stormont and certainly not in Westminster. In this instance, Congressman Bill Delahunt (D-MA) an Irish-American, and Chairman of the Hearing, stands out for his fairness and compassion. But over the years I have experienced the same extraordinary kindness from non-Irish and non-Catholic Members of Congress: Jewish- Americans, African-Americans, Italian-Americans, etc. And now once again we are seeing the same solidarity being shown to   Raymond Mc Cord. Isn’t Raymond’s truth-campaign extraordinary and inspiring? Just think of it: A working -class guy from Belfast  -- without a political party or organization behind him, without big money, and in the teeth of constant danger and intimidation – had his case vindicated by the O’ Loan Report, Operation Ballast, 2007, and now brings it right into the heart of the U.S. Congress. The “ great and the good of Church and State” (as Raymond himself puts it), tried to make him go away by studious silence; the paramilitaries, who had intimidated thousands, tried to stop him; his own Protestant politicians wouldn’t touch him because Protestant paramilitaries and police-collusion were involved; and the British Government tried to demonize and marginalize him. Yet Raymond Mc Cord Sr. stayed in the ring, refusing to quit. And now he is poised to deliver the knockout punch: as a Protestant, who believes in the Union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, he will testify to British Government and police collusion in the slaughter of a young innocent Protestant, his own beloved son. So to the British Government and Northern Ireland police: what price collusion? what price cover-up? Of all the murders in Northern Ireland, surely, a special opprobrium must be attached to the Loyalist or Republican who kills his own people, while being paid for it as a government agent and police informer? And opprobrium, a thousand-fold, must be assigned to the government and police responsible. Raymond Mc Cord Jr. was battered to death with a cement block in a quarry outside Belfast. Because his killers were government agents and police informers the crime and collusion were covered up… Well not any more. Raymond’s father has seen to that. And Congress will hear all about it.    Fr. Sean Mc ManusPresident Irish National Caucus Capitol Hill PO BOX 15128 Washington, DC 20003-0849 Tel. 202-544-0568 Fax 202-488-7537 sean@irishnationalcaucus.org