Smug leaders keep inflicting misery on their own citizens
SMUG, smiling politicians tell us they will look after us as Budget 2023 is in the bag.
One of the principle objectives is to ease the burden which shortages, sanctions, inflation and an inevitable economic slowdown brings. Billions will be trickled down to ordinary voters in a desperate bid to save the skins of confused, helpless and pretty much useless political masters who do not understand what is going on. It is extraordinarily ironic that practically all the shortages, the ever-inflating prices and the general misery is entirely self-inflicted and happens at what should be the very best time ever experienced by the human race.
Our engineering genius has created technology capable of doing practically anything. Apart from greatly enhancing lifestyle, we can produce and transport great abundance to every corner of this wonderful planet. But despite this, our leaders appear obsessed only with transporting warfare, death and destruction on those whom they perceive as enemies.
The fact such action brings misery, not seen for decades, on their own people appears of little consequence to warmongering leaders of today. It gets worse when we realise those leaders are prepared to engage in nuclear warfare with potential to destroy us all, rather than compromise their demands and enter peace negotiations.
If they don’t soon do so, there may be no need for leaders as there will be no one to lead.
PADRAIC NEARY, Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo.
Pro-life views excluded
THE ongoing three-year review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act, is most lamentable. There is a complete absence of media scrutiny.
Similarly, there is no avenue to include consideration of the views of those horrified by the desperation, cruelty and ultimately the unsustainability of our country, due to our birth rate having fallen below replacement level. The process fails to value the concerns and voices of those most affected, those who are tormented by regrets, and those disturbed by what they have witnessed.
Should anyone step forward to maintain a presence outside the clinics involved, merely to offer an alternative choice and supportive help, they can expect to face ‘safe access zone’ legislation, designed to exclude any practical help.
Of course, their presence might also provoke a reconsideration of Government policy and so cast doubt on the pretence that abortion is healthcare.
The exclusion, deception, and double-speak surrounding this whole issue is astounding. Our innate desire to build a better world needs to include everyone. To claim as a right something that we deny to others is a form of violence. For the State to enshrine this in its laws is systemic injustice. This situation can only continue to exist if those of us who see the injustice, and the incoherent rhetoric that surrounds it, can be relied upon to turn a blind eye.
GEARÓID DUFFY, Cork.