Just throwing my two cents in for what it's worth:

A good book that clarifies much of that infamous day was written by Don Mullan, 'Eyewitness to Bloody Sunday'. I had the honor of meeting him at an I.A.U.C. at the U.N. in New York a few years back. Really great guy with no hatred in his soul even though one of his close friends was shot in the back and killed that day. We all went out to get a pint after the presentation at the U.N. as many of my fellow A.O.H. brothers were in attendance. There was also a British journalist in attendance that witnessed the event as a reporter for B.B.C. news. His recollection was quite chilling, to put it in the mildest and most diplomatic terms. The paras, by no fault of their own, just got a bit trigger happy. After all, these men are trained professional soldiers who were dropped into a very volatile situation by their government.
Following a 'rigorous' British investigation, not one of the soldiers were brought up on charges. The Lord Widgery report was an absolute farce and a blatant cover-up. I've read the report and the challenge to his report which really exposes him for a fraud.
What happened in Free Derry that day was a horrible thing, but it doesn't even scratch a particle in the context of mass genocide, An Gorta Mor and all the evils that government has inflicted on the natives of Ireland.
Before this spins out of control, I'll just close with this: 'The Troubles' are still present in the occupied counties of the North. Irish History is replete with redundancy and tragic events. The only end to this conflict would be for the British government to come to it's senses and pull out of the North and allow a full 32 county unification. I certainly don't advocate that people of Scotch and British decent leave Ireland. I, like many others, would like to see them stay in a country that they have roots in for over 800 years. They would just have to surrender to a democracy under a unified nation's laws where they can maintain their own parties and be active participants in the democratic process. That's much more than the British government and past Monarchs gave to us.
If they want to follow their flag back to the U.K., they can cross the Irish sea by whatever means they desire. Although I wouldn't recommend using a raft and pattle. LOL...just trying to lighten the mood.
This in no way is unique to England: Prior to the Battle of Hastings, Irish marauders sacked many areas in England. The U.S. has invaded many sovereign nations and brought about the deaths of many. The debacle in occupying Iraq is the biggest blunder since Vietnam - illegal and clandestine operations in Cambodia only radically
exacerbated the carnage and paved the way for little Hitler's and Stalin's like Pol Pot.
It's unfortunate what's happened to England, too. When I arrived at King's Cross from Doncaster last summer I was amazed at the cultural make-up of the population. It made me think of the insidious nature of America passing on it's mis-virtues to the rest of the globe. But it has more to do with an English bloody and voracious colonialist past.
My relatives are scattered between both England and the south-west region of County Cork. I even have a few that moved on to Bavaria in southern Germany - Absolutely gorgeous country filled with lots of beer drinking beautiful blond women. Just thinking about it gives me...well, I won't go there. My girlfriend will probably find this post with me sorry ass Gael luck.
Nevertheless, this has turned into an incoherent ramble as I've been up for 28 hours doing work. Thanks for the patience to put up with this drivel. Adderall XR really pumps up the dopamine levels.
Peace to all. Many of my closest friends are Brits and the salt of the earth. It's important to set aside antipathy for certain British political positions and put the vast majority of the population that lives under it's rule into perspective. I'm an eternal idealist, and I remain ever hopeful that both sides of the two extremes put down their guns and do the right thing. If someone of the ilk of Trimble can win a Nobel Peace Prize, the unimaginable is no longer a long fought dead end pipe-dream, but a tangible goal for a population of disenfranchised patriots; excluding the thugs of the Real I.R.A., however, I have an equal dislike for the gun touting murderous Paisley-ites and the extremes of the Orange order.

Cheers brothers and sisters. I'm off for a quick nap then out to work with dreams of Valuev lying on the canvas for the count of 10 while pondering what his simian counterparts are up to.

Good film that covers the original topic fairly well is 'Bloody Sunday', which came out in 2002. Check it out if you get a chance. It's very even handed.