Heroism shows how world must face evil

Sir — Lieutenant Colonel Arnaud Beltrame has made the ultimate sacrifice representing the uniform which he wore with pride. In saving a life [in last month’s jihadist attack in France] by forfeiting his own, he has saved many others by showing the whole world how to behave in the face of terror.

It was done for his country and for his fellow citizens. But when he put his life on the line, it was for all of the people of the world who live in freedom.

Yes, we have all of us benefited through his heroism. It is those rare actions that are signposts to terrorists of a determination to fight back. His name should be honoured by all free nations and his memory held as a perpetual example of courage and valour in the face of evil. Harry Mulhern,

Dublin

Wise words for young men

Sir — Maybe it’s time I changed my tune and stopped quoting your excellent columnist Brendan O’Connor. But I think you will agree the following wise words are well worth repeating from his rape trial article (‘We must teach young men to call out bad behaviour’, Sunday Independent, April 1).

“What if we all agreed that, rape or not, one good thing we could all agree now is that we teach young men not to be dicks?

“And what if we instilled in young men not to tolerate their friends being dicks, that they call it out, and make it shameful. It’s not the whole answer, but it is one answer. Don’t be a dick.”

Yes indeed, Brendan, yes indeed. Brian McDevitt, Glenties, Co Donegal

Thanks, Joe, for the memories

Sir — What a lovely article by Joe Kennedy (Country Matters, Sunday Independent, March 25) about the hare and, more especially, the white hare, and the hare featured on the old silver threepenny coin. I can associate with both the white hare and the threepenny coin.

My dad, RIP, always seemed to have a threepenny bit, as we called it, in his pocket for me when required as I prepared for school each day. He was not a wealthy man by any means but, like a magician, he could pull the required coin out of his pocket — and it was often the only money in his possession.

The white hare goes back a long time in my memory as well. A group of lads used to go hunting at weekends and came on a white hare on one hunt. On being told of this story I decided to go myself the following Sunday to view this unique creature. Yes, we came on the unique specimen after walking about five miles and I was so excited to see him gallop away in the distance in his snow-white coat. The hare was eventually caught, not by dogs, but was shot by one of the group and was on exhibition in the village for all passers-by to gaze at in awe. There was no taxidermist in the area to preserve it for all time like pheasants and foxes were elsewhere.

There were a lot of old wives’ tales at the time about a white hare being a reincarnation and unlucky but it remained forever in my mind, and I have never seen a white hare since. It took Joe Kennedy’s lovely article to bring it all back to my mind. Murt Hunt, Ballyhaunis,

Co Mayo

Different schools, same results

Sir — In response to ‘Money does not buy the best education’ by E Gleeson (Letters, Sunday Independent, April 1), I would like to add that my twin boys, when entering their secondary school education, decided to go to different schools. Both were non-fee-paying schools, one a community school and the other a CBS. Both obtained excellent Leaving Certificates without grinds and obtained the same grade in the same subjects.

As a wise lady said to my local butcher: “They came from the same family.” Siobhan Horgan, Cloyne, Co Cork