LETTER: Political correctness being taken too far

SIR – I must be getting old. I am constantly told in the media how I must behave, quite apart from obeying the laws of the land, which has me baffled. I am not a bad man but the zeitgeist dictates I am being watched, closely.

There are new rules for how I must think, speak, address the world and society and so on, and woe betide me if I step away from these rigid directives.

Freedom of speech is called ‘hate speak’ if I do not comply, even accidently, with a set formula of words which is the only acceptable language if I want to mention homosexuality, immigration, race, colour, or religion. But I can, strangely, be as obnoxious as I like about Christianity, especially Irish Catholicism, which it seems has managed to put itself beyond the pale of political correctness.

The airwaves are full of rainbow colours where we are assailed by fellows like Ms Panti, the self-appointed castigator who tells us we are despicable heterosexuals if we question what are the aims of himself and his friends. He’d like to be President of Ireland, he said. Good luck with that.

What did we do to him, apart from voting to let him get married to another bloke if he wants to? 

Why so militant – is there unrest brewing in the world of the happy-clappy community which sees only gay love as acceptable? Should I be afraid?

There’s ‘queers’ everywhere, but it’s only gay folk who can use that word about themselves. I’m not allowed use it, against pain of a campaign of hatred against me, apparently.

Ireland has not been unkind to difference, and now that certain issues are included in our constitution is all very well. Just don’t make such a song and dance about ‘exclusion.’ 

Try being ‘straight’ and poor, or an Irish Traveller, and learn what real rejection is all about. 

There’s none of us special, no matter which system of government we labour under, regardless of sexual persuasion.

We cannot openly object to the unmanaged influx of African-Asian immigrants which if it continues our tiny indigenous population could see Ireland repopulated in the timeline of a generation. RTÉ boasts about the joy of Irish citizenship for those from those continents regularly in a way which implies we are all cock-a-hoop about this new Ireland, while our own emigrants have nothing to come home to.

We need to be demanding to have our voices raised above the din of the liberal agenda, which tells us we are old fashioned and not deserving to be heard. Some will say objectors ought to be arrested. 

All is not well in Tír na nÓg.

Robert Sullivan,

Bantry.