We must take back control of country

Sir — We live in a failed republic.

Since the foundation of the State, the citizens of this country, have been betrayed, neglected and abandoned by the very people that we elected to serve us. The State in cohorts with the Catholic hierarchy ruled us citizens by fear and submission, and vast numbers of our citizens were incarcerated in mental institutions throughout the country. The nation’s children lived in fear of being forcefully separated from their parents and community and sent to an industrial school to be abused at will by their so-called protectors and educators. The nation’s daughters were enslaved by the bishops in their money-making Magdalene Laundries.

There was also the inhuman treatment of women in mother and baby homes, the undisclosed number of deaths, the total disregard for human dignity and compassion and hundreds of dead babies dumped into a septic tank in Tuam. Adoption agencies were involved in the illegal practice of human trafficking of Irish babies. Writers, artists and journalists were censored and banned.

You may say that this happened in another era but the betrayal continued with the hepatitis scandal and attempt at a cover up in the 1980s, corporate fraud, unscrupulous bankers, a government lying to the citizens of this country as the economy was collapsing around them. There is the cervical cancer scandal and attempt at a cover-up, the housing crisis and homelessness, a health care system in freefall, and failed politicians, bankers, etc, retiring on obscene pensions. I could go on but I am too depressed.

Who can we blame for this dire and shameful predicament that we, as a people, find ourselves in?

We have only ourselves to blame — we need to get off our knees and be less servile in the lead-up to the 100-year anniversary of our State. Let’s start by taking back control of our country — get involved locally, be active, lead with your actions and your vote. Michael Moylan, Connemara, Co Galway