“It’s imperative to defend your people,” he asserted. Marksmanship, he argued, is not a part of the “very basic drill instruction.” Trying to comprehend Mr. Martin’s convoluted statements brings to mind George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. Describing non-lethal, humanitarian weapons training that doesn’t aim to enhance marksmanship is a prime example of “Doublethink” and “Newspeak,” Orwell’s terms for manipulating language. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Government has pushed Ireland’s neutrality to its limits. Despite majority support for neutrality, Mr. Martin and others in the government have resorted to gaslighting the public when explaining their Ukraine policy. Orwell’s description of this situation is profoundly disheartening: “In the end, the party would announce that two and two make five, and you would have to believe it. It was inevitable that they should make that claim sooner or later: the logic of their position demanded it.”
Dominic Carroll, Ardfield, Co Cork
Pope Francis should stop acting like a “goat” when it comes to blessing sinners. Many see the Pope’s recent comments regarding blessings for same-sex partnerships as contradictory to the Vatican’s firm statement in 2021 that “God cannot bless sin.” Upon closer examination, the Pope’s remarks skillfully shift the focus from a general question of whether to bless or not to bless, to a more nuanced exploration of each individual’s desire, request, and need for a blessing. Few have truly understood the church’s perspective on marriage, morality, modesty, and other matters, so the Pope is gently challenging the superficial, consumeristic mindset that treats God’s blessings and the church as a mere convenience. It’s unfortunate that the media is sensationalizing the issue, falsely suggesting that some are unfairly being denied comfort and solace because they don’t meet archaic criteria.
The essence of a “blessing” is embodying God’s will in our lives, as we have learned through personal experience how futile it is to try to define our own happiness. The parable of the goats and the sheep sums it up: we can either be goats, using religion for our own purposes, or sheep, discovering our complete reliance on God, where following Him and His ways is not optional.
Gearóid Duff, Co Cork
Blaming landlords won’t solve the housing crisis – let’s scrutinize unruly tenants. Ed Fitzgerald believes that the housing crisis can be easily resolved by reclaiming vacant, idle, and derelict properties through compulsory purchase orders. As accidental landlords with only one property, we have experienced firsthand the destruction caused by tenants who refuse to pay rent and refuse to leave. Once we finally regain possession of the house, we will never rent it out again due to the hassle and abuse. More and more landlords want nothing to do with tenants or the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) and are choosing to exit the rental market. Instead of demonizing landlords, burdening them with excessive rules and regulations, and then expecting them to continue renting out their properties, perhaps it’s time to investigate why there are 17,000 vacant houses in Cork.
Name and address withheld at the editor’s request
Work-to-rule by overpaid and underworked healthcare managers will go unnoticed. There is a perception that the HSE is top-heavy, with the majority of the work done by doctors, nurses, and technicians on the front line. With overpaid healthcare managers and administrators opting for a work-to-rule approach, one wonders if anyone will even notice. This industrial action should be seen as an opportunity for the health minister to identify and address redundant and underworked roles.
Gerard Reynolds, Rathfarnham, Dublin
Concrete action is necessary to ensure dedicated libraries in schools. Last week, in response to a question about the Government’s failure to provide funded libraries with qualified librarians for all 235 Deis schools, Tánaiste Micheál Martin deflected by highlighting the provision of free textbooks to primary school students. This response exemplifies the tendency of politicians to equate school libraries with mere quantities of books on shelves, disregarding the tremendous benefits that dedicated library spaces, staffed by professional librarians, bring to schools. The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science, in their recent reports on Leaving Certificate Reform and Mental Health Supports in Schools and Tertiary Education, recognized the significance of school libraries in student learning and educational experience, and emphasized the urgent need to expand the Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP) Demonstration Library Project on a national level. It’s encouraging to hear the Tánaiste express commitment to strengthening resources for school libraries, but concrete action is required.
Kathleen Moran (Chairperson), Andrea Dillon (Secretary)
School Libraries Group, Library Association of Ireland
Manchester United’s misfortunes are not due to bad luck, but rather a disunited team. In Richard Jolly’s report on Manchester United’s struggles, Christian Eriksen attributes their poor performance to bad luck. However, it’s more accurate to say that their opponents are to blame, rather than luck. If Manchester United continues to perform as they currently are, they will rightfully earn the label of being a disunited team.
Leo Gormley, Co Louth
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