I would like to address two issues that pop up in Irish News pages that I can ignore no longer.
Firstly, the anti-Israeli blame it all on the west brigade.
Islamic radical politics, now in the form of Isis/Daesh, Taliban, AQ and Boko Haram is the latest in a line of militant fundamentalism, using Islam for political power.
Way before Blair/Bush and weak western foreign policy decisions, Muslim extremists were as bad as the crusaders and other groups using religious politics. The Turks attempted to wipe out the non-Muslim Americans long before so-called western invasions by the US. The recently obliterated monastery in Mozul was the scene of militant Muslim Persians killing priests who refused to convert to Islam in 1743 at St Ingrid’s.
Corbyn and the far left like to deflect from these historical facts, as do Sinn Féin and like-minded people here. They give no answer to halting Isis genocide, and use the ‘blame the west’ dull mantra.
My second topic concerns the 1916 societies and Sinn Féin pushing sectarian nationalism in 2016.
So-called modern republicans can kill who they wish, rob banks, sell dodgy diesel and halt Lurgan trains and still be called ‘good republicans’. The Paul Quinns, Kingsmill victims and Jean McConville’s scream for justice, while Adams tweets about ducks.
P GREEN
Newtownabbey, Co Antrim
Chairman of Culture Committee has no sense of shame
If anything sums up the ridiculous nature of the Stormont Assembly it is the ongoing farce of the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee’s never ending drama regarding Casement Park with the pantomime being ‘led’ by Nelson McCausland. This is an individual whose behaviour in public office was found wanting after investigations by the media and his fellow Stormont MLAs and in whom, as a minister in two departments, the nationalist community held no confidence whatsoever.
Undoubtedly safety issues in sports grounds are of the utmost importance and it is right that Caral Ni Chuilin and her department are questioned on exit plans for Casement with any failings being fully publicised. However, Nelson McCausland making deliberations and acting as the figurehead for such a committee renders anything it may find or conclude as completely redundant.
The actions of Nelson McCausland as Social Development Minister were found by the BBC’s Spotlight programme to be highly questionable and controversial.
He was judged by a Stormont committee to have misled them over the Northern Ireland Housing Executive contracts and was further found to have fudged the committee over the DUP’s links to a glazing company. In such a scenario his fitness for public office was called into account but the response of his party was to move him sideways to chair a committee elsewhere to question other politicians and public bodies on their ‘behaviour and accountability in office’.
Even Monty Python couldn’t even have written such a surreal sketch yet we, the public, are expected just to forget about the Spotlight/Social Development Committee findings and continue on as if nothing has happened.
In any other normal society Nelson McCausland at the very least would have been put on gardening leave or forced to resign while public prosecutors and police investigated the Red Sky/Housing Executive/glazing scenarios; in the crazy ‘sick’ counties/Norn Iron statelet it’s carry on regardless and ‘what are you having yourself’?
Nelson McCausland remaining not only as chairman of the Culture Committee but even staying on in public office leaves confidence in the Stormont Executive completely in tatters and open to total ridicule. Ian Knox’s portrayal of him as an embarrassing wee figure prancing about in a ‘Shortbread Tin Hoots Man’ outfit while gibbering made up Ulster Scots sums it up perfectly. McCausland chairing any type of committee investigating other public figures is like taking lectures on obesity from Billy Bunter.
The man really doesn’t seem to have any sense of shame or responsibility. Stormont really does deserves to fail with politicians and ministers like him sitting in it.
S BURNS
Belfast BT15
Complacency is endemic in our education service
Bravo to Newton Emerson for some straight talking about the complacency endemic in our education service – ‘Learning English from the Chinese is an education’ (February 4).
Over 15 years ago my colleague Harry Blackstock and I, alarmed at the scandal of poor literacy, introduced synthetic/linguistic phonics here, with the intention of not only eliminating illiteracy, but of substantially raising standards across the board.
The project was taken over by the education boards, but never properly implemented, resulting all these years later in Northern Ireland, (sadly also the Republic and England), bumping along the bottom in international tables. The ‘experts’ will be quick to offer justifications, citing this study and that, while thousands of our children, bright as buttons, are turfed out, year-in, year-out to face the world with inadequate literacy levels.
One such expert from the Department of Education in Dublin, demanded that we re-apply for Summer Course status because of the ‘....need for the course to be localised to greater context within broader principles which underwrite how pupils learn and read’. I didn’t understand what that gobbledegook meant when I initially read it and I still don’t know.
This year we are not even bothering to apply, such is the unpleasantness and sheer pointlessness of the process.
But this I do know, until those at the helm in the training colleges, the unions, and educational administrators are sent a sharp message from parents, employers and students, things will not change.
PADDY McEVOY
Phonics Ireland
Holywood, Co Down
Written warning to TDs
I’m putting pen to paper to vent my anger at Irish Water’s repeated reminders and threats of fines to pay them and the government’s refusal to listen and act to abolish this tax.
Yes we were misinformed and foolishly trusted and voted the TDs in and we paid them handsomely to work, we hoped, for the good of the people. We the Irish citizens are the employers of this government. So take note FG/Labour and other hopeful TDs.
We tell you this tax has to be abolished. We are refusing to pay and will fight tooth and nail for our sons and daughters and future generations to come. I’m referring to the tens of thousands who took to the streets in protest and feel as strongly as I do.
I ask the small majority who paid the tax to pay no more, stand firm with us the larger majority who didn’t pay and stronger together we will win. (Money talks or lack of it).
As the election looms can TDs afford to ignore this written warning.
I’m not with any political party. I’m just a grandmother. I have a voice and a vote. Enough is enough.
N McLEAN
Gweedore, Co Donegal
