Opinion

‘Unionist’ parties must be savouring delectably delicious electoral irony

Despite the usual assumptions to the contrary there is a definite and obvious change in voting patterns discernible among certain elements of the electorate. The usual assumption that change is impossible was cynically expressed by a visiting journalist years ago who said of us here that we would literally and loyally vote at the hustings, if necessity demanded, for either an orange parrot or a green one – no matter how idiotically it repeated what its historical community taught it to say and demanded it mimicked.

Though that may even yet be generally true of us, some political analysts have more recently observed that many potential voters, questioning their historical party/loyalties, are now beginning to scrutinise more closely the policies of both party candidates and independents standing for election -- examining especially the moral and ethical principles which underpin the candidates’ understanding of what have become three controversial areas in human life – birth, marriage and death – or (to use more recognisably political terminology) abortion, same-sex marriage and euthanasia.                                                      Significant evidence in support of these observations emerged when Catholic bishops, in a pastoral letter, directed the Catholic electorate to avoid conscientiously candidates who support pro-choice abortion; or who ignore the Pope’s declaration “that there are no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family” or candidates who do not acknowledge the “inviolability” of a human being’s existence as a fundamental moral principle, “whatever their state or stage of life”.


After much discussion with others who have studied the various electoral manifestos I have had it pointed out to me that the two parties who still actually reflect the directions of the bishops and the teachings of the Catholic Church on these fundamental matters are the DUP and the TUV. If we can briefly distance ourselves from reflecting on the seriousness of all these matters we might be momentarily amused enough to consider that those parties are more Catholic than other parties we might think of and who might resent just such a conclusion.

But at the very least who would begrudge those unionists parties a wry smile and some degree of amusement as they witness many traditionalist nationalist voters enter the polling booths in schizoid agonies as they acknowledge the challenge their moral conscience presents to their political allegiances. 


In all psephological fairness, given these ‘unionist’ parties’ policies on birth, marriage and death in contrast to the policies of other ‘nationalist’ parties, they must be consciously savouring this contradictory and delectably delicious irony.

DANIEL HOLMES


Limavady, Co Derry

Focused on protecting Sperrins and its waterways for future generations

I believe that Peter McKenna – ‘Dalradian regulate water discharges’ (November 21) – attempts to confuse matters. The discharge consent granted by NIEA in September 2017 was for Dalradian’s exploratory tunnel, not for the ‘proposed underground mine’, as claimed by Peter McKenna. On November 5, at the High Court in Belfast, that discharge consent was quashed. NIEA conceded the matter after almost two years of dispute.  Dalradian Gold Ltd were a notice party to my JR proceedings and did not dispute the order made by the court.

Peter McKenna claims that ‘Dalradian is not discharging any metals into local water courses as a result of industrial activity’. When Dalradian applied for a discharge consent in April 2017, they stated it was for “trade effluent” and “the following EC dangerous substances will be present in the effluent – cadmium, mercury, arsenic, chromium, copper, iron, lead, nickel and zinc”.

Peter McKenna fails to acknowledge that, on at least three occasions in 2017 the concentrations of certain metals were found to be in breach of the parameters set. He asserts that “water quality levels in the area are good” whereas, the latest NIEA water quality results for 2018 found that 43 per cent of the water bodies in Owenkillew Management Area failed the Water Framework Directive water quality standards.

Dalradian anticipates that the discharge consent will “be re-determined by NIEA in identical terms”.  I believe that this will not be the case, since NIEA must now comply fully with its obligations under the habitats directive and I have alerted NIEA to the numerous problems with their decision making – from their lack of the necessary equipment to accurately measure the concentration of heavy metals being discharged into the watercourses, to that of inconsistent and unreliable data.

With the quashing of the 2017 discharge consent, Dalradian’s discharge is now regulated by the 2014 Discharge Consent, which, I understand, NIEA will review too.

FIDELMA O’KANE


Omagh, Co Tyrone

Duke of York moment for Mary Lou

Once upon a time Sinn Féin as a political party were masters in the art of public relations. Since the inception of Mary Lou McDonald as leader that is no longer a valid description.


With a general election in the offing and in her position as president of Sinn Féin it beggars belief that she could stand in front of a television camera with her retinue, including newly elected vice-president Michelle O’Neill, and when confronted by a reasonable question about the election result between Michelle O’Neill and John O’Dowd, she resolutely and peevishly refused to reveal any statistics about the outcome. But hey presto,  within hours, when her Duke of York moment had passed, she changed her mind and all was revealed. 


In a recent Behaviour and Attitudes poll Mary Lou McDonald had fallen seven points to 32 per centin the satisfaction ratings. The bizarre handling by her and her party of the vice president’s election will have done nothing to enhance that rating.

WILSON BURGESS


Derry City

Alarmist nonsense

David Attenborough knows no more than I do about where my planet is going and what it is doing, and for how long it might survive.


Be assured that there is nothing to worry about and this latest fad that we’re doomed is nothing more than alarmist nonsense of the science fiction variety.

All humanity has to do is forget the frantic rubbish that Earth is in its last days.


We’re not.

The notion that if we don’t continue to knit the ozone layer back together with muesli then the colourful yet useless undersea coral reefs of the world might change colour.

Better that we human beings are sacrificed on the altar of the new religion which outlaws free thinking and non-concern with what the preachers are demanding we hear, which has become the acceptable mantra of the doomsters.

I do not care that evolution continues despite the hysterical minority which wish to call it armageddon and demand that I believe them. Spring follows winter, so simply enjoy that beautiful certainty.

ROBERT SULLIVAN


Bantry, Co Cork