‘Poetry’ reference is insult to every woman

Dear Editor,

I was absolutely astonished to see the 8th amendment described as having “poetry within it” by one of your readers ( The Sligo Champion 10/04/18).

What an insult to the many women who have been denied essential healthcare in their own country because they were pregnant.

An insult also to the women and girls who become pregnant as a result of rape or incest, and to the many griev- ing parents who have been forced to travel to the UK following a diagnosis of a fatal foetal condition.

Not forgetting every adult woman who is denied the right to consent or refuse treatment during pregnancy, or has been threatened with a court order if she doesn’t agree.

To describe the 8th amendment as “poetry” is an insult to every woman in this country.

It is an insult to all who understand that the 8th amendment has not prevented abortions from happening in Ireland.

On the contrary, it has forced women into medically unsupervised, unsafe and illegal abortions at home or to travel abroad in secret.

I can think of many other words to describe the presence of the 8th amendment in our constitution – words like cruel, inhumane, distressing, shaming and harmful.

It is time to replace these words with different ones – compas- sion, care and change. Dear Editor,

I had need to engage with a range of public servants in Sligo recently having returned home to Ireland at the age of 66 years.

I had many issues to address. but I was met by a range of individuals in Revenue, Social Welfare, Pensions and the VRT centre that showed me respect, patience and a willingness to help.

That made an enormous difference to me in coping and I remain very grateful.

Regards,

P. Smith, Rosses Point.