How a troubled conscience could bring us justice

I remember reading somewhere that a clear conscience has tangible benefits and can prolong one’s life. It makes sense, because it can’t be healthy or beneficial to have some awful guilty secret bottled up inside.

I thought of this the other day when a newspaper reported that somebody had tipped off gardaí about a cold case crime and that the informant was motivated by a troubled conscience. That’s exactly as it should be.

The violent deaths of two more people in what appears to have been a gangland-related shooting again underlines the need for people with any knowledge of this and similar crimes to break their silence. They should reflect on the endless grief and suffering caused by these criminals.

So, I suggest that anyone with potentially vital information on gangland activity – whether that of small-time drug peddlers, big operators, or any of the criminal foot soldiers – should immediately contact the gardaí.

John Fitzgerald, Callan, Co. Kilkenny.

Statue hypocrisy?

Where were the voices who are now expressing indignation and contempt of those people in Charlottesville in the US, objecting at the removal of Confederate statues, when a memorial to the English slave trader Sir Francis Drake was erected in Carrigaline, Co. Cork in 2005?

In addition to slavery, Drake had been responsible for the slaughter of hundreds of Catholics on Rathlin Island off the Co. Antrim coast in 1575.

Indeed, these protesting voices were also silent when Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council re-erected a memorial to Queen Victoria next to Dún Laoghaire harbour in 2003.

Queen Victoria was Ireland’s monarch when about three million colonised Irish either died of starvation during a time of abundance or left Ireland in coffin ships to escape destitution.

We continue to tolerate countless locations throughout the State carrying place names honouring our former colonisers including Victoria, Nelson, Wellington, Essex, Pembroke, Portland, Palmerston, Marlborough, Fitzgibbon and Lords Mountjoy and Gough in Dublin City. We are not worthy of the title Republic. Tom Cooper, Templeogue, Dublin 6W.

Losing marbles

I don’t agree with removing the statue in Charlottesville, just as I didn’t like Nelson’s Pillar being blown up. A short time ago there was worldwide distress when monuments in Iraq and Syria were destroyed. They were considered world heritage. Destroying statues or monuments is not the answer. All these monuments represent history and how times have changed.

Ranting and raving, and destroying, and demolishing, solves nothing. The focus now should be on stopping slavery and other abuses that still go on.

Margaret Walshe, Dublin 15.

Tackling terrorism

Are we destined to endure an endless continuation of these sickening terrorist attacks that are taking place with an almost production line regularity and the characteristic aftermath of the shrine-like tributes complete with flowers and candles.

I don’t think these vehicle attacks are a passing phase. Our career-driven politicians are challenged like never before to show real leadership qualities for a change and deliver effective solutions. They must develop a zero-tolerance approach in order to successfully tackle the terrorists even if a few innocent toes do get unintentionally stepped on every once in a while. I firmly believe the future sustainability of our European civilization very much depends on it.

Laurence Slean, Dublin 7.

Social dangers

We hear plenty of warnings about how dangerous social media is for children and teenagers. And it is very dangerous for young people. But it is dangerous for adults of all age groups, too.

I am on Facebook and I am a golden years person. Many newspapers share articles of interest. I read the comments and some comments can be very vile. If you look at the profiles of some of the people who comment, you will find many of them are older people. Some comments are racist and homophobic while you’ll find comments with fierce bad language and brutal name-calling. I read comments that backed the nuns in the Magdalene Laundries for their cruelty and blamed families for putting the girls there.

Yes, social media is dangerous for young people but it’s also dangerous for older people especially if they have a sensitive nature. From now on, I have more to be doing than reading vile comments on social media.

Maureen Lowndes, Geashill, Co. Offaly.