That, unfortunately, is probably fair.

My other problem with comparing our current situation to Northern Ireland is that I can easily see conservatives identifying with the IRA side - that they have been forced into violence because the mean government is trying to take away their civil rights.

Except Catholics in Northern Ireland in the very beginning were protesting for actual civil rights - for protection from discrimination in housing and jobs.

There used to be a quote thrown around even before there were memes "One person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter."

I can easily see the racist, antisemitic, homophobic fringe adopting that. Because taking away their right to discriminate is the "worst crime ever." (And for a certain political subsection, taking away their right to grift based on racist, antisemitic, homophobic rhetoric is just like death.)

My memory is after a certain point in Northern Ireland, there were no freedom fighters only terrorists. I sort of feel that way about Trumpies at this point. Whatever empathy I had for them before January 6th is gone.