It all began with 9/11, I think, and has grown globally beyond the bounds of sanity since then. I refer to the practice of doing one’s job and giving to this the air of heroism and self-sacrifice.
From firefighters to ambulance and rescue crews generally, the general demeanour is one of uniformed giants encountering personal danger yet ignoring it in the face of their own brave actions – which used to be just a job in a more sensible era.
Now they embrace the titles of “first responders”, “frontline comrades”, “airport police” and every other dramatic wartime handle which enhances the reputation.
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And they are not beyond the shedding of tears as they tell us how proud they are of themselves. It can be very unsettling at this point when we remember there was a time when to express pride in oneself was considered “big feeling”. They do a good job, yet storming the beaches at Normandy is not part of their daily duties.
It’s not just the skilled workers who fall into the trap of looking good on television. We can have a cookery judge sobbing as he tells a contestant the drizzled lemon sponge he just produced is “stunning” and “to die for”; followed on the other channel by a judge reduced to a quivering wreck as she tearfully watches a couple of youngsters go through a dance routine, so broken is she by its beauty.
Is this real life or is it a pretence at portraying the myth that everyone is a hero, every day?
Robert Sullivan
Bantry, Co Cork
Naïve to believe Isil bride should be allowed home
Patricia Casey’s article (‘Why Britain should take back Isil bride and her baby’, Irish Independent, February 23) was written by a decent, law-biding, humanitarian.
It is a view which is a necessary cog in a wheel that every civilised society needs to develop and prosper in peace and harmony. It is a view that allows rehabilitation and acceptance when individuals commit crimes so they may re-enter society to start anew.
The real problem with this view is it must be set aside during war time – and make no mistake, this is a war which has been declared on the West and we are under attack from the ideology this woman subscribes to. It is intent on destroying the freedom and way of life we enjoy.
It is not a war in the normal sense of the word because it relies on a combination of cowardice and terrorism. It does this by using our decent, law-abiding humanitarian views against us by radicalising elements within societies to attack and murder their own innocent men women and children on the streets of western cities.
It succeeds because there are rights and freedoms attached to every member of our society and even if they are caught they will not be summarily executed; they will not be put in a cage and burned alive in the town square; they will not have their heads sawn off online for the world to witness; they will not be tortured and killed after they have been forced to watch their family murdered in front of them.
Ms Casey asks if “ethically, can a person be allowed to remain stateless because if so, then they have no rights”. Ms Casey also pointed to the fact that “this woman was 15 when she became indoctrinated. Decisions made at such a young age are often poorly thought-out.”
Naïve as it is, Ms Casey is to be commended for her compassionate view, but the fact is the motive behind this war appears to be based on a basic frenzied thirst for blood-letting in the most savage and murderous fashion that can be imagined, all under the guise of a religion.
This young woman has clearly indicated she has no problem with that murderous motive. Of course, the child she has given birth to is an innocent and should be allowed to return to Britain, but not with his mother. To allow this woman to raise any child and indoctrinate him would simply see that child grow up with hate in his heart.
Anthony McGeough
Dublin 24
Sinn Féin does not have nation’s interest at heart
Listening to Micheál Martin address his Ard Fheis, where he appealed to his delegates to put the country first before party with the enormity of Brexit before us, one might expect the nation would agree with and approve his approach.
A tweet from Mary Lou McDonald was mind boggling in its rejection. Sinn Féin doesn’t take its seats in Westminster, doesn’t take its seats in Stormont, and now it wants to vacate seats in the Dáil with 34 days to go to Brexit – a possible Armageddon for our agricultural industry.
Limerick GAA should hand over the Liam MacCarthy Cup to SF as without doubt they are the All Ireland Champion “hurlers on the ditch”.
Padraig O’Toole
Gorey, Co Wexford
Source: Read Full Article
Home » Analysis & Comment » Letters to the Editor: 'Hero worship should be for the few, not the many'
Letters to the Editor: 'Hero worship should be for the few, not the many'
It all began with 9/11, I think, and has grown globally beyond the bounds of sanity since then. I refer to the practice of doing one’s job and giving to this the air of heroism and self-sacrifice.
From firefighters to ambulance and rescue crews generally, the general demeanour is one of uniformed giants encountering personal danger yet ignoring it in the face of their own brave actions – which used to be just a job in a more sensible era.
Now they embrace the titles of “first responders”, “frontline comrades”, “airport police” and every other dramatic wartime handle which enhances the reputation.
Please sign in or register with Independent.ie for free access to this article.
Sign In
New to Independent.ie? Sign up
And they are not beyond the shedding of tears as they tell us how proud they are of themselves. It can be very unsettling at this point when we remember there was a time when to express pride in oneself was considered “big feeling”. They do a good job, yet storming the beaches at Normandy is not part of their daily duties.
It’s not just the skilled workers who fall into the trap of looking good on television. We can have a cookery judge sobbing as he tells a contestant the drizzled lemon sponge he just produced is “stunning” and “to die for”; followed on the other channel by a judge reduced to a quivering wreck as she tearfully watches a couple of youngsters go through a dance routine, so broken is she by its beauty.
Is this real life or is it a pretence at portraying the myth that everyone is a hero, every day?
Robert Sullivan
Bantry, Co Cork
Naïve to believe Isil bride should be allowed home
Patricia Casey’s article (‘Why Britain should take back Isil bride and her baby’, Irish Independent, February 23) was written by a decent, law-biding, humanitarian.
It is a view which is a necessary cog in a wheel that every civilised society needs to develop and prosper in peace and harmony. It is a view that allows rehabilitation and acceptance when individuals commit crimes so they may re-enter society to start anew.
The real problem with this view is it must be set aside during war time – and make no mistake, this is a war which has been declared on the West and we are under attack from the ideology this woman subscribes to. It is intent on destroying the freedom and way of life we enjoy.
It is not a war in the normal sense of the word because it relies on a combination of cowardice and terrorism. It does this by using our decent, law-abiding humanitarian views against us by radicalising elements within societies to attack and murder their own innocent men women and children on the streets of western cities.
It succeeds because there are rights and freedoms attached to every member of our society and even if they are caught they will not be summarily executed; they will not be put in a cage and burned alive in the town square; they will not have their heads sawn off online for the world to witness; they will not be tortured and killed after they have been forced to watch their family murdered in front of them.
Ms Casey asks if “ethically, can a person be allowed to remain stateless because if so, then they have no rights”. Ms Casey also pointed to the fact that “this woman was 15 when she became indoctrinated. Decisions made at such a young age are often poorly thought-out.”
Naïve as it is, Ms Casey is to be commended for her compassionate view, but the fact is the motive behind this war appears to be based on a basic frenzied thirst for blood-letting in the most savage and murderous fashion that can be imagined, all under the guise of a religion.
This young woman has clearly indicated she has no problem with that murderous motive. Of course, the child she has given birth to is an innocent and should be allowed to return to Britain, but not with his mother. To allow this woman to raise any child and indoctrinate him would simply see that child grow up with hate in his heart.
Anthony McGeough
Dublin 24
Sinn Féin does not have nation’s interest at heart
Listening to Micheál Martin address his Ard Fheis, where he appealed to his delegates to put the country first before party with the enormity of Brexit before us, one might expect the nation would agree with and approve his approach.
A tweet from Mary Lou McDonald was mind boggling in its rejection. Sinn Féin doesn’t take its seats in Westminster, doesn’t take its seats in Stormont, and now it wants to vacate seats in the Dáil with 34 days to go to Brexit – a possible Armageddon for our agricultural industry.
Limerick GAA should hand over the Liam MacCarthy Cup to SF as without doubt they are the All Ireland Champion “hurlers on the ditch”.
Padraig O’Toole
Gorey, Co Wexford
Source: Read Full Article