The only thing worse than a bad loser is a bad winner, Kate
IT’S clear that Fine Gael Deputy Kate O’Connell isn’t at all enamoured by Rudyard Kipling’s advice that those two great imposters in life, Triumph and Disaster, should be treated exactly the same. Kipling cautions in favour of calm composure as the norm – as opposed to riotous depression when things go wrong (which they will, many times) and unattractive triumphalism when, on the odd occasion, we hit it out of the park. Kate behaves in victory like Charlie McCreevey did when he was flush with cash. When she has it, she spends it. And, following the result of the abortion referendum and the Dáil’s support for abortion legislation this week, Kate spent it. In one of the most inelegant comments uttered in the Dáil for some time, Deputy O’Connell told TDs who opposed the abortion legislation: ‘We won. Ye lost… it must be hurting.’
There’s only one thing worse than a bad loser. Yeah – a bad winner. It’s entirely unappealing.
Because it’s a reminder of the kind of sneering, unsympathetic, hurtful and dismissive domination enjoyed previously by rightwing craw-thumping, religious, doctrinaire nutcases.
Kate O’Connell should have proper regard and respect for the fact that onethird of the Irish people oppose abortion. They did so in good faith, knowing that they were facing overwhelming defeat. They voted in line with their conscience – the very same, no doubt, as the majority.
Kate’s sneer is entirely unworthy of her.