Eilis considers reality of situation

Sir — The furore surrounding the “Jobstown Six victims” has pushed the real issue to the sidelines. A few journalists, for example Eilis O’Hanlon (Sunday Independent, July 2), have challenged the Irish public to look at the reality of the situation. Two women were confronted by an angry mob because of one woman’s job and decisions made in that job. The older woman was subjected to the most foul and coarse language and assaulted with a water balloon. Gardai “asked” the rabble to stand back, afraid to use their batons.

Simple question to readers: If that was your mother, daughter, sister, wife, girlfriend, and you were in front of that car, in possession of a baton, what would you do?

I am a middle-class woman, in other words, from the group in society who cannot be seen to criticise the “workingclass”. I must not be seen as confrontational, should compromise and show empathy.

Well, unlike Paul Murphy, with his pseudo working-class principles, my father was working-class, as was his father. They had values and principles and while they railed against the injustice of taxes and annual budgets which gave them very little, it would be unthinkable that they would call any woman a c***, threaten or intimidate her, because they disagreed with her or her decisions. If they were in the presence of people who behaved as such, they would challenge them and defend the woman, as opposed to mealymouthed smirking and sneering.

It is an insult to associate working-class people with those at the Jobstown protest. Those present may hide behind such language as their “right to protest”, but make no mistake; what we saw in Jobstown was a crowd of unprincipled thugs, influenced by cowardly louts with political power.

In plain terms, Irish people, both working and middle classes, are intimidated by political correctness, which is the modern equivalent of censorship. We need to “call a spade”, open our eyes and speak up. Fiona Barry, Thurles, Co Tipperary