the other Mitchell Report

sports fans are well aware of the most recent Mitchell Report, which detailed the use of steroids and such in major league baseball. a significant event in sports, no doubt.

but I recently became aware of the OTHER Mitchell Report, which had far more significance in “real” life. did you know it was the same Senator Mitchell who helped broker the Northern Ireland peace talks? (he also produced another Mitchell Report on the conflict in the middle east)

since I’m visiting Ireland and don’t remember much about the history, I got Mitchell’s book from the library and found it to be a good read. it was often overwhelming just reading his overview, so I can hardly imagine living it for years on end. in the book it seemed like he was trying to put the best face on all sides of the issue (which was certainly his job when he was chairman of the talks), but that’s understandable considering that the peace that was made was still pretty fresh when the book was written. considering the long and terrible history of the conflict, it is rather amazing that an agreement was made.

so it was a good read, and it made me a little sad that Mitchell will likely be more remembered for this foolishness in baseball as opposed to his contributions to (among other things) the Northern Ireland peace process.