Last week the UVF murdered Ballyclare man John Allen. Yesterday (Friday) Lisburn man James McMahon was viciously beaten to death by men wielding baseball bats – a favourite weapon of loyalist paramilitaries.
Earlier this week a north Belfast man lost an eye after a savage attack by loyalists who used hammers and machetes in their attempt to murder him.
It is to be hoped that the police can bring the murderers of John Allen and James McMahon before the courts soon.
Otherwise there is every possibility that these people will kill again.
With some exceptions, this catalogue of horrendous attacks has so far generated a muted response from unionist politicians.
One can only wonder what their reaction would have been if the IRA had been responsible for even one such incident – particularly in the run-up to an election.
There is no difference to the grief felt by the families of victims of loyalist paramilitaries as compared to that felt by families of victims of republican groupings.
Neither should there be any difference in the response to such attacks.
