Let me first of all declare my admiration of the 44th president of the United States. I have been a supporter of Barack Obama since I heard him speak at a Democratic Party Primary in 2004. Then I went to canvass for him in Manchester New England in 2008, so you could say I am an Obama fan.
I salute his achievements, despite a vindictive Republican Senate who put their self interests before America’s. Obama’s gains in issues of foreign policy such as Asia, Cuba and Iran are very commendable as has been his attempt to bring in affordable health care at home.
However, when it comes to our situation in the north of Ireland, boy did he get it wrong. I don’t know who fed him that guff but they must have graduated from the DUP/Sinn Féin school of ‘let’s pretend’.
If he thinks that integrated education and everyone getting behind the Northern Ireland identity, whatever that is (it only exists in the unionist/west Brit mindset and among the ‘sure it’s a great wee country’ brigade who follow Nolan).
These six counties of Ireland do not have an identification we do not hold ‘northern Irish’ residency as there is no such thing. If there were then we would have a Northern Irish passport.
It is just nonsense and designed to present a myth to the outside world of the success of the Peace Process, and something successful for the US to point to in foreign policy, so as to compensate for the scores of foreign policy disasters which they have had.
If he really thinks that integrated education will stop people from killing one another when they grow up then look at the example of Yugoslavia under Tito from 1945 until 1992. Everyone educated together but still blew up into the bloodiest civil war in Europe for 100 years. The reason, if children don’t learn tolerance of their neighbour at home they will not learn it at school.
Until the people who live in this part of Ireland learn to accept their neighbour’s right to think differently and worship in a different church and then start to relate properly to the rest of the island we cannot move forward. We are only papering over the cracks.
PETER McEVOY
Newry, Co Down
Eloquent words of 1916 Proclamation not being lived up to
All the hoopla about 1916 and the irony is the Republic is in dire straits about how to form a government in 2016. The Republic of Ireland is a country run by special interests that have strangled it since rebellion begun.
The property developing gentry in Cork and Dublin have the whole county under siege, with the banks to support them and the government to give them tax breaks whenever they want. Not to mention bail-outs at the taxpayers’ expense too when their investments go sour. The people in the meantime are strangled with sky-high rents and back breaking mortgages, who are repossessed if they miss a couple of payments and brought to court.
What is the Republic today with all the so-called glory of 1916 and the dissident claim to Northern Ireland?
The reality is the Irish independence has not worked, with high numbers of people been forced to leave with no opportunity. It is also seen as a insular society that is boxed in to its own cliques and golden circles. Social exclusion is at an all-time high, with desperate measures been employed, such as sports and music projects been commissioned by the government to try and bridge the every-widening social gap.
These measures will only work temporarily in creating the illusion that a functioning society exists. The Republic is one of the most alienated, lonely, and isolated societies on the earth and hinterland outside of Cork and Dublin, with ghost towns everywhere, especially in the border area and the west of Ireland.
The Republic is a small-minded Catholic country fused to a ultra-conservative mentality where no change at all seems to be possible. Yet, dissidents want the British out of Northern Ireland so Dublin and its bureaucrats can screw up that part of the island too and drive out thousands. Many in the Republic agree that the eloquent words of the 1916 proclamation have not been lived up to in any way, regarding social strata and equality issues proclaimed in it. The Republic is a deeply divided and segregated country refusing to admit abject failure on a range of issues, especially social inclusion.
The Republic will not be able to run Northern Ireland any better than it is already under a British administration, if the last crippling 100 years are anything to go by. 1916 is as controversial today as it was 100 years ago in bringing hope to some, but disappointment to so many.
All anybody can say to dissidents who kill and disrupt communities – leave the north alone until the Republic ends its crippled monolith.
MAURICE FITZGERALD
Shanbally, Co Cork
Old model of government played out
The old second-hand and possibly outdated model of government (biggest party takes power, the rest in opposition) having caused injustice and conflict in Belfast and now threatening continual war and worse for the US has recently been creating alarm and despondency in Dublin. It’s not working.
The old model of government with opposition seems to be played out. Is it not time for a radical, democratic and intellectually sound model to be put in its place?
Nobody goes out on voting day to vote his or her party or candidate into opposition or exclusion. Therefore the next logical step in democratic representation is to give the electorate what the electors want and what the electors want is inclusion in government.
Let’s all have it then.
Of course that involves major, and for some people perhaps frightening, changes. But why, by way of good example from politicians who are now wrangling in Dublin, should a fully representative government not be put in place there for a fixed term, able and willing to address, as well as day-to-day matters, the constitutional question of replacing the tired, old political party model with something new which would test and strengthen those politicians who really want discussion, honourable compromise and exchange, bringing into play the often dormant intellectual potential of many politicians now languishing on back benches and sending party whips off gardening ?
DESMOND WILSON
Belfast BT12
Churches are out of touch
The Catholic Church has urged the electorate not to vote for candidates who support integrated education, abortion and same-sex marriage.
Yet, according to the recent LucidTalk poll, 74 per cent believe that a single common school system is the best way to provide education in Northern Ireland. The same poll also found that less than 1 per cent thought the Churches best represent the interests of children regarding education.
On abortion, according to a recent Millward Brown poll 69 per cent of people think the law should make access to abortion available where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest and 60 per cent of people think that it should also make access to abortion available where the foetus has a fatal abnormality.
As for same-sex marriage, the evidence is undeniable. According to a 2015 Ipsos MORI poll, 68 per cent of adults in Northern Ireland believe same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. This is even higher than the Yes vote of 62 per cent in the Republic’s referendum.
Clearly therefore the Catholic Church and most of the mainstream Christian churches are completely out of touch with the ideas of the overwhelming majority of the population on these matters. They will no longer allow themselves to be manipulated on moral issues by religious bodies that keep our children apart and so many of our adults steeped in misery and guilt.
BRIAN McCLINTON
Lisburn, Co Antrim
