Letters: Some might say ‘Mayo for Sam' is a masterplan only Oasis fans can dream of

Irish Independent

3 days ago

Gerard Burns, Ahascragh, Co Galway
Reaction to racist attacks on Indians is welcome, but authorities must do more
This is to thank the Irish Independent for highlighting the current situation in Ireland regarding racism.
The letter by Tom Towey (Irish Independent, Letters, August 16) and the article ('A generation of children will grow up feeling that they don't belong in Ireland') by Azmia Riaz in the same paper could not have described the situation better.
The Indian community is thankful for the support we have got from everyone here. But what needs to be done is the action on the ground.
Lip service is fine. But I have heard the interview of parents of the child victim of racism in Waterford. What they stated about the garda response to the humiliation they went through was disappointing. They were told that the gardaí could do nothing. Nothing?
I'm sure the authorities realise that with this attitude they have a 'lose, lose' situation. Ireland is already starting to have a bad name for race relations in the international arena.
This is going to make skilful people stay away. The ones who are here are going to leave in droves. It will happen. The productivity and economics of Ireland is going to be affected by it. More importantly, it makes people of all races in Ireland feel insecure.
Even tourism will be affected by the bad publicity. This is highly likely going to instigate a sense of insecurity among at least 20pc of the Irish population (those who are not born in Ireland).
It's in the interest of the authorities to take action and prove that the rule of law exists in Ireland. We need to build confidence among the minority groups here. At the end of the day, justice needs to be shown to have been done. This is how a robust legal system works. Otherwise it is a sham.
Pradeep K Chadha, Castleknock, Dublin 15
Striking parallels between Ireland's Famine and the horrors we see in Gaza
The dark shadow of the Famine – truly one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes in recorded history – lingers in the collective global memory.
Over one million Irish died and over one million fled Ireland. The Famine wreaked havoc and destroyed lives. However, the Irish survived and built Ireland, the land of saints and scholars.
Their unwavering strength, stamina, stoicism and resilience remain a guiding light to the entire world.
Today, the world is watching another famine in Gaza with striking parallels to the Irish Famine.
Thousands of children have become walking skeletons, threatened with severe malnutrition, organ wastage, diseases, blindness, paralysis and a bleak future without hope.
Like the Irish, Palestinians will never lose hope of establishing their sovereign land and seeing a bright future for their children one day. They will never succumb to adversity.
Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob, London
When ego is to the fore, US can no longer be trusted as the world's policeman
Donald Trump's meeting with Vladimir Putin, a war criminal, will now be seen by many, especially Ukranians, as the final betrayal.
No progress was made and no peace agreement can be obtained based on Putin's demands. Putin came with his own agenda and Trump, for all the world to see, acceded to it. That Ukraine would have to give up the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, in order that the war would cease elsewhere, is rewarding a thief for stealing from you.
Rewarding criminals, which Trump did when he pardoned violent protesters who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2020, shows the mindset of someone who, himself, has been convicted of 34 felonies, is, seemingly, par for the course.
Trump's lack of diplomatic nous, and his constant admiration of his friend Vladimir, while feeding his own ego, will widen the diplomatic gap between the US and European allies. Europe or Ukraine can no longer rely on Trump or his US administration to be the policeman of the world, or arbiter of peace.
Why would Trump or anyone else reward Putin for this type of human destruction and the invasion of a sovereign nation?
Christy Galligan, Letterkenny, Co Donegal
First blue suits and now red carpets have media in a tizzy over Donald Trump
It's apparent that there is no love lost between the US president and large sections of the media.
Considering the way that many news outlets displayed a blatant bias in last year's election, Donald Trump's displeasure is understandable. However, the mutual dislike is beginning to get silly and childish.
For example, at the funeral of the late Pope Francis, many commentators were more obsessed with Trump's choice of suit than the solemnity of the occasion.
Now, at the recent Trump-Putin summit in Alaska they have latched on to the fact that a red carpet was laid out at the foot of the planes. The latter is standard procedure for all visiting heads of state, regardless of their reputation.
A few years ago, the Chinese premier made an overnight stop in Ireland and almost €3,000 was splashed out on, you've guessed it, a red carpet. To put it mildly, China has a questionable human rights record.
From blue suit-gate, to red carpet-gate, can we please have more substantive reporting than this childish trivia.
Eric Conway, Navan, Co Meath
Unco-operative gardaí should walk away, or be sacked by their superiors
I found the stinging report on how some gardaí police our roads to be somewhat incredulous.
This report found that while many members of the Roads Policing Unit were professional and dedicated, a noticeable minority spent the day doing little or nothing.
Ostensibly, these gardaí were open about their dislike of the job because they had no expectation that their attitude would have consequences. I was deeply concerned by these findings and by the apparent reluctance to manage unco-operative gardaí.
Some of these guards are not fulfilling their responsibilities and should do the decent thing and resign. Alternatively, they should have their employment terminated if they continue with such an indolent attitude.