Sacrifices made for what we take for granted today

SIR – The 100th anniversary of the burning of Cork brings into sharp focus the sufferings and sacrifices of many. They gave us what we take for granted today.

One consequence of their actions was the introduction, in 1937, of a new Constitution for the citizens of a new republic. It was made clear from this, that it was the people who were the bosses. They were stated to be ‘… the sovereign people who are above the lawyers and above Government and all others.’

While the Constitution belongs to the people, it is the members of the Government who decide the wording of any changes to it. The people then decide by a referendum (No/Yes), on those proposed changes.

The more important referendums in Ireland have been to the advantage of adults, who have a vote, and are at the expense of children, who do not.

We have recently used the same hard-earned empowerment and vote, to hand over, from the people to unknown politicians of the future, certain important aspects of life of the people, i.e. the taking of unborn human life, and the abandonment of responsibilities to one’s children.

These powers will never be handed back by the politicians to the people. Why should they?

The question many Irish people now have to answer to future generations is this: How can this handover of power be reconciled with what our fore-parents had endured?

They were imprisoned and died, womenfolk, at great risk to themselves, willingly provided food and shelter for on-the–run people, and families, including children, faced starvation.

Donal O’Driscoll, FCCA,

Blackrock,

Co Dublin.