Letters to the Editor: Pride flags ‘insensitive and inappropriate’

EDITOR – Recent attacks on ‘pride’ flags flown from public buildings in Waterford raises questions such as: ‘Is it ever appropriate to disrespect flags?’ and ‘Is it ever appropriate to fly such flags from public institutions?’

To me it seems both unkind and unwise to damage or to misappropriate symbols, words, or gestures which are important to another person or group.

The pride flag itself is composed of six rainbow colours.

Seeing it Christians may recall the Noah’s Ark bible story, where the rainbow is presented as an ongoing reminder of God’s promise, that no matter how perverse human beings become, he  will never annihilate them all. In other words, God does not engage in cancel culture, but brings good out of every evil.

Hoisting flags representing socio-political campaigns having a propaganda intent, such as generating an ideological stampede or enforcing a cultural homogeneity, is a departure from the tradition of reserving official buildings for flags of nations and administrative areas.

The ‘pride’ flag seeks public endorsement of a lifestyle which is inherently opposed to the way of Christ.  In our Christian tradition acting out of  ‘pride’ – placing oneself and our fellow man as the arbiters of what is good – is seen as the precursor of all sin.  For Christians the discovery that God is the author of our success, spurs us to utilise our talents for the benefit of all.

Accordingly, hoisting flags over public institutions which proclaim an individualised lifestyle dedicated to one’s own gratification, is both insensitive and inappropriate.   

Gearóid Duffy,

Lee Road, Cork.

We should search for evidence of an afterlife

EDITOR – UFO research has, almost overnight, become respectable and is now deemed to constitute a more or less legitimate mainstream pursuit, after decades of ridicule being heaped on anyone who as much as expressed a casual interest in the subject.

I wonder if another subject, for long also dismissed as a crackpot or misguided pursuit will be taken more seriously: the search for evidence of life after death.

Though the various doctrines and scriptures of the great theological belief systems are rich in allegory and philosophical insight and have enhanced the lives many people, they do not provide actual evidence that we survive the destruction of the physical body that occurs at death.

Of greater value in my view is the work of paranormal investigators who are devoted to searching for answers to the question: Is there an afterlife, and if so, what form does it take?

An interesting project focusing on afterlife research was the so-called Scole Experiment. In 1993 a team of investigators arrived in the Norfolk town of Scole to conduct a series of experiments with healers and mediums.

Electrical engineers, psychologists and astrophysicists attended to observe and everything that transpired was recorded and noted. At the end of the long process attendees were convinced that contact had been established with the ‘dead.’

Hardened sceptics will of course scoff at the slightest hint of survival, not because they have found the evidence wanting, but because they have closed their minds to any possibility of an afterlife.They are entitled to their belief or unbelief. Unfortunately, like the fundamentalist religious person who believes that only his/her version of an afterlife is the true one, the closed-minded materialist is impeding progress towards ascertaining exactly what happens when we ‘pop our clogs.’

Should the nations of the world not also be diverting considerable resources to investigating life after death?

Just as we await an answer from space, we ought to be serious about hearing from those who may have crossed to what religious folk call the ‘Other Side’, if it exists.

I think most of us would like to hear from them and, personally, I believe they are, like the aliens, somewhere out there!

John Fitzgerald,

Lower Coyne Street,

Callan,

Co Kilkenny

Proceeds of crime may be solution for hospital

EDITOR – Full marks to Mr Harrington in his quest for justice that maybe has a solution?

The ‘scandals’ of which he speaks were in direct contravention of the Irish Constitution which, to me, places them in the classification of ‘crimes’.

However, to point his finger at the FF/FG governments is incomplete, insofar as there were two other parties within the State, namely SF and Labour, whose manifestos presumably failed to challenge what was going on, and Labour were in coalition with one of the others in many Dáils of the era.

It would therefore be more apt to spread the blame across all four pre-1977 political bodies … and the people who voted for them.

The solution will be to order the two senior public employees, Messrs Donnelly and Martin, who are involved in negotiations over the proposed Maternity Hospital, to exercise the State’s powers in securing the designated site without further delay.

Compulsory Purchase is a measure they can use in the public good and, to expedite that process, I believe there to be a Proceeds of Crime provision for offsetting damage to State and victims by confiscating property, in this case the land in question.

Politicians are there to take instruction from those who elect them … or else at the next election.  What more can signify the nation’s penitence than a Maternity Hospital?

Nick Turner,

Drimoleague.

Goodbye to all that

EDITOR – AS I prepare to leave West Cork for my homeland after 16 wonderful years, I should like to thank everybody.

It has been my privilege to be acquainted with all those, who are too numerous to mention individually, and for the friendship and kindness I have received – be it from neighbours, shops, medical staff also volunteering with Citizens Information and the wonderful hours I have spent in the West Lodge leisure centre in Bantry. And not forgetting the Orchid and Glandore  centres in CUH – tremendous and I leave with a heavy heart! Go raibh maith agat.

Lorna Clark

(formerly of)

Durrus