Apart from the very serious matters at stake in the substantive issue in the forthcoming Irish referendum – marriage, family, and children’s right to health, happiness and well-being – the two politically disturbing things are the thuggery on the street and the sinister uniformity among the paties. There is a real stench of political corruption here. If we are not successful in securing the integrity of our Constitution we can only fear the worst in terms of what these people, the political establishment here and their Stormtroopers trying to crush free expression, will be prepared to move on to after victory. The stakes in this are very high and very frightening.
It is painful to think that on the eve of the centenary of the beginning of the struggle through which mythology tells us we heroically secured political independence, we find our political culture in such a depraved condition. Was it worth it? I honestly do not know. Can we rescue our politics and begin all over again? We can only hope so.
No matter which side you might be on in this referendum, you have reason to be worried about the future.
Garvan Hill 
Well said, Michael. It is greatly encouraging that a motion in favour in same-sex marriage was defeated in the Northern Assembly today. It is also encouraging that the Democratic Unionist Party continues to promote a culture of life including opposition to the deliberate killing of children in the womb and support for marriage as between one man and one woman. For this reason Catholics are beginning to vote for them in ever greater numbers as they come to terms with the betrayal by nationalist parties of Christian principles. Dia leat. Ciarán
I find it astonishing that the reason Enda Kenny gave for his refusal to participate in a live debate on the referendum was that he didn’t want to politicise the issue. Yet you have every party in the country holding PR launches to announce their support of a Yes vote and Party posters all over the country boasting the same…
Michael,
Well said.
Just one gremlin got in at the end of the second paragraph –
EWe can only hope so.
Pat.
Pat Hanratty 36 Rathfarnham Wood Dublin 14 Ireland 00-353-87-2731904 00-353-1-4947724