Return to populism would suit us just fine, Minister
WHATEVER has happened to Fianna Fáil, the populist party?
Not a penny for the old age pensioners in the Budget! Yet we have to purchase face masks at €10 a pop! Even if we wish to visit the corner shop for a pint of milk or walk the dog, we have to wear a mask.
Surely it is time that Health Minister Stephen Donnelly looked back to one of his predecessors, who dispensed toothbrushes, and made a typical populist gesture – free face masks for all those collecting State pensions at the post office.
Patricia O’Connor, Blackrock, Co. Cork.
A cheaper sanitiser
FOLLOWING the news that the Department of Agriculture has issued a recall notice for Virapro sanitiser, because it appears to cause serious skin problems, I am prompted to ask, why are we using these expensive sanitisers?
There is a very cheap, very inexpensive sanitiser available in every household. Washing up liquid and water has proven to be as good a sanitiser as any other on the market. So why are schools and hospitals wasting tens of thousands of euro on commercially produced sanitisers?
As far as I am concerned, schools and hospitals should provide bowls/buckets of a solution of washing-up liquid and water, and rolls of paper kitchen towels for people to dry their hands on. This is not rocket science and the sparse financial resources in our health and education systems must be used sparingly and not wastefully.
John Fair, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.
Liberal bigotry rules
AT LAST, a journalist who is willing to stand up for Amy Coney Barrett (Niamh Walsh’s Manifesto, MoS, October 18).
A number of years ago, Professor Philip Jenkins (a non Catholic) wrote the book The New Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice. In it the
professor forensically analysed how in the United States it was no longer acceptable, in polite society, to denigrate anyone because of their religion or ethnicity. With one notable exception – Catholics and Catholicism. He noted how commentators/celebrities routinely make highly offensive comments about Catholics/ Catholicism, with little or no consequences. If they used the same language about any other segment of society, it could have serious career implications.
Listening to the ‘liberal’ inquisition of Amy Coney Barrett illustrates the accuracy of Jenkins’s analysis. Inquisitor-inchief Kamala Harris has made a number of highly offensive references to the incumbent’s religion that would be unacceptable had she been Protestant, Jewish or Muslim (and quite rightly so). The fact is
that everyone brings their core beliefs with them. Harris brings her ingrained ‘liberal/feminist’ dogma to the job. I’m sure the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg was influenced by her Jewish upbringing to some degree. As far as ‘liberals’ are concerned, it’s very much a case of ‘Catholics need not apply’.
Congratulations to Niamh Walsh for dissenting from the bigoted mob. Eric Conway, via email.
Just be gone, Don
WHILE watching the last US presidential debate, I concluded that Donald Trump believes that reports he is trailing Joe Biden in the race for the White House are fake news.
I can only hope he is wrong so I can say with many others good riddance to bad rubbish.
Tony Moriarty, Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6w.
Face facts, people
I WAS looking forward to watching the Finding Jack Charlton documentary. I cannot understand how anyone would criticise the project as reported in last week’s paper. Some people may not want to face up to the fact that no matter how successful we are, we will all one day die and may suffer from ill health in our latter years. But there is the positive that in caring for a loved one with dementia, you can become a kinder person.
Frank Browne, Templeogue, Dublin 16.
No, Minister!
WHILE watching Dáil proceedings on RTÉ 1 on Friday, I saw Helen McEntee, the Minister for Justice, texting on her mobile phone while Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett was making a speech relevant to her Department. She looked quite bored. Somebody should tell her that she is on live television and to pay attention.
Tom Heffernan, Cork.