1. In the spirit of this post, I'd like to share a little perspective with the kids out there who aren't old enough to remember when sectarian violence gripped some of the most developed parts of the Western world... https://twitter.com/th3v0t4ry/status/1178720844639604738

2. Beginning in the 1960's and ending with the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, Northern Ireland was a hotbed of sectarian violence- often referred to as "The Troubles."

Here are some photographs from that conflict:

3. The Troubles

4. The Troubles

5. The Troubles

6. The Troubles

7. The Troubles were a series of asymmetrical conflicts in Northern Ireland- all fueled by ethnic, religious, and nationalistic differences in a population shaped by deep historical grievances.

Over half of those killed in the 32-year conflict were civilians.

8. The conflict saw the rise of several paramilitary organizations and the segregation of the population. This lasted for decades and was finally ended in 1998 by the Good Friday Agreement.

Many of us grew up watching the violence in Northern Ireland on TV as children.

9. As bad as The Troubles were, I think a similarly divisive sectarian conflict here in the United States would be exponentially bloodier.