Letters: Each and every person deserves to be treated humanely and with respect
There are ample historical examples of sadistic treatment of fellow human beings seen as 'others'.
Kristallnacht 1938; Hungary 1956; Mississippi 1964; Burntollet Bridge 1968; Bloody Sunday 1972.
The Gaza and Israel of today – will they ever meet other than violently?
This week Los Angeles was chosen because it is a Democrat-voting state, for no other reason than to stir up violence. As William Butler Yeats reminds his readers, responsibility lies with those who light the match; alas, the instigators walk away from their responsibilities.
Why? They reject the fact they are accountable for not only their soul, but the intellect given to each of us for the greater good of mankind.
Today greed is astronomical, when allied to ignorance – they become like oil and water.
Declan Foley, Melbourne, Australia
Parallels between Warsaw Ghetto and Gaza hard to ignore, despite protests
Gustawa Jarecka, a survivor and writer of the Warsaw Ghetto, depicted the effects of hunger and morale collapse among residents. We should all take note.
She writes in A Cup of Tears: A Diary of the Warsaw Ghetto a first-hand account of the desperation that led residents to commit horrible acts against one another in their struggle to survive. She could be writing about Gaza.
ADVERTISEMENT
Jarecka described the overwhelming obsession with food: 'The first days of hunger are the worst, then, it becomes bearable. First comes the weariness, your arms and legs feel heavy, each word becomes a painful noise ringing in the ears. The colours do not bring joy to the eyes; the light hurts them. You feel a constant thirst; chapped lips dry out.
'The jaws clench of their own accord and you feel a pain behind the ears at the sight of a tin spoon abandoned on a table. Then, thoughts about food start; terrible, exhausting daydreams.'
The purpose of the ghetto was to dehumanise the residents, to make them appear to their oppressors as less than human. The next stage was to displace, eradicate and replace.
The tragedy today is partly that we seem powerless to act to stop the crimes against humanity being committed by Israel. But isn't it a moral crime also to be cowed by anyone who uses the martyrs of the Warsaw Ghetto to justify identical crimes today?
For Israel to condemn anyone who draws the parallel between the Warsaw Ghetto and Gaza as 'antisemitic' is an absurdity.
Declan Doyle, Co Kilkenny
Seventy-year-old granny putting all those spineless EU politicians to shame
Seventy-year-old Cork grandmother D Murphy has been deported by Israel after spending time in Givon Prison because she felt she could not sit around while Palestinians are being killed and forced out of their homes in the Occupied West Bank – something that has been going on for decades.
I suggest EU politicians, who many would say 'talk out of both sides of their mouth', could learn from this lady.
Michael Moriarty, Rochestown, Co Cork
Our food processing chain gets more protection than elderly people in homes
At the moment in many food processing plants in Ireland there are full-time Department of Agriculture inspectors whose job is to ensure that rules and regulations are adhered to.
They have the authority to shut down lines when a problem arises and are not answerable to the owners of the plant. The cost of having them on site is recouped from the owners.
Would it not be possible to have a qualified person in a care home full-time to ensure nothing like what we witnessed on Prime Time would happen again?
That person would be there for the protection of both staff and patients. The benefits of having eyes and ears permanently in those homes would be immeasurable.
It may sound like drastic measures, but really, when we are revisiting a problem that most of us thought was no longer an issue, then maybe drastic measures are all that will work. Or is food safety more important than old age and abuse?
John Higgins, Ballina, Co Mayo
The magic of sport is its uncertainty – and that always breeds new hope
One of the joys of live sport is its unpredictability. Now that the dust has settled at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick, we can reflect on how nail-biting the Munster hurling final remained until the long-awaited final whistle.
The subsequent tie-breaker resolution leaves room for further debate.
For neutrals, no doubt it was an enthralling contest. For Cork supporters, there was the glorious satisfaction of winning another provincial championship. To the victors the spoils.
For this Limerick fan and my fellow believers, the phrase 'all is not lost' now carries deep and tantalising possibilities. Further twists will emerge as the hurling season continues to beguile us.
Tony Wallace, Longwood, Co Meath
With the greatest respect, Pride now highlights only the things that divide us
I'm frequently told by people of impeccable judgment that I haven't a vindictive bone in my body. By and large, I subscribe to the 'live and let live' philosophy'.
However, I'm beginning to find the relatively recent phenomenon of Pride events irritating in the extreme.
Why on earth do people have to make such a big deal of their sexuality? It shouldn't be your defining characteristic. There is much more to human beings than that. It's essentially a private matter and no one else's business.
I don't really want to know if anyone is heterosexual or homosexual, provided they are decent in their dealings with me.
So, while wishing those with same-sex attraction peace and contentment, can we please put an end to these Pride events? They only emphasise difference rather than our common humanity.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
EU formally suspends countermeasures to US tariffs for six months
The European Union will suspend its two packages of countermeasures to US tariffs for six months following the deal made with US president Donald Trump, a Commission spokesperson said confirmed on Monday. The EU-US agreement leaves many questions open, including tariff rates on spirits like Irish whiskey, and Mr Trump's executive order last week setting tariffs on most EU goods at 15% did not include carve-outs such as for cars and car parts. EU officials have said they expect more executive orders to follow soon. "The EU continues to work with the US to finalise a Joint Statement, as agreed on 27 July," the spokesperson said in a statement. "With these objectives in mind, the Commission will take the necessary steps to suspend by six months the EU's countermeasures against the US, which were due to enter into force on August 7." The retaliatory tariffs were in two parts: one in response to US steel and aluminium duties, and the other to Trump's baseline and car tariffs. Meanwhile the Swiss government is ready to make a "more attractive offer" in trade talks with Washington, the cabinet said on Monday, after a crisis meeting aimed at averting a 39% tariff on Swiss imports that could hammer the export-driven economy. The Federal Council it was determined to pursue discussions with the United States, if necessary beyond the August 7 deadline that Mr Trump has set for the tariff to come into effect. "Switzerland enters this new phase ready to present a more attractive offer, taking US concerns into account and seeking to ease the current tariff situation," it said in a statement. The statement did not give any details on what the Swiss government may offer. Switzerland was left stunned on Friday after Mr Trump hit the country with one of the highest tariffs in his global trade reset, with industry associations warning that tens of thousands of jobs were at risk. The duties are scheduled to go into effect on Thursday, giving the country, which counts the US as its top export market for pharmaceuticals, watches, machinery, and chocolates, a small window to strike a better deal. The White House said on Friday it had made the move because of what it called Switzerland's refusal to make "meaningful concessions" by dropping trade barriers, calling the two nations' current trade relationship "one-sided". Swiss industry leaders and politicians, however, have struggled to understand why the country was singled out. Mr Trump has stated that he is seeking to rebalance global trade, claiming that current trade relations are stacked against the United States. And Switzerland had a €41bn trade surplus with the US last year. But Swiss president Karin Keller-Suttersaid on Friday Switzerland had given US goods virtually duty-free access to its market, and Swiss companies had made very important direct investments in the United States. "The president (Trump) is really focused on the trade deficit, because he thinks that this is a loss for the United States," she told Reuters. The new tariff rate - up from an originally proposed 31% tariff that Swiss officials had already described as "incomprehensible" - would deal a major blow to Switzerland's export-focused economy, with economists warning prolonged disruptions could shrink Swiss GDP by more than 1%. The tariffs could also see the Swiss National Bank cut interest rates in September, according to Nomura. An index of Swiss blue-chip stocks briefly hit its lowest since mid-April, as shares in banks, luxury retailers and pharma companies tumbled. The SMI index was last down 0.6% on the day, compared with a 0.6% rise in the regional STOXX 600 index. In Zurich, shares in high-end watchmakers such as Richemont and Swatch fell in volatile trading. Reuters
RTÉ News
7 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Behind the Story: Why Irish seas 'urgently' need more legal protection
Ireland needs its own legislation to safeguard marine protected areas, an expert has warned. Marine biologist Rebecca Hunter told Behind the Story that the damage to the seas around Ireland is "quite alarming". "This year alone there are records of Atlantic Salmon that has declined by 90% since the 1970s," she said. "So, in the past 50, 60 years – not even a human lifetime – 90% of Irish Salmon have been lost. "The European Eel, which would return to Irish rivers, is down 97%." Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are areas that are protected and managed over the long term, with a primary objective of conserving habitats and/or species. The Government approved the general scheme of a Marine Protected Areas Bill in December 2022. However, it was reported in June that the coalition could drop the law in favour of folding it into the offshore wind consenting scheme. "An exercise is being undertaken to explore how the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021 could be revised as an alternative approach, so that the overarching objectives of MPA Bill might be met through amendment of that act," Minister for Housing James Browne has said. Ms Hunter said legislation needs to give Ireland the power to designate marine protected areas for species and habitats of national importance. "Ireland already has some marine protected areas that come from the EU Habitats Directive," she said. "I think currently something like 8.3% of Irish seas are protected through those designations." However, Ms Hunter said there are two issues with relying on EU legislation alone. "The EU Habitats Directive never made a requirement for any management measures to be put in place when those sites were designated," she explained. "They often become what's known as paper parks: [so] they exist on paper, but in effect no activities are being stopped, reduced or managed in any way to protect the species. "The EU Habitats Directive covers species and habitats that are important at an EU level; but that misses a large number that are important at an Irish level". Ms Hunter said there needs to be standalone legislation on marine protection. "National marine protection would allow Ireland to bring forward a new list of species that require protection in Irish waters and it must include the provision that management measures are in place," she said. "Ireland is signed up to the target of achieving at least 20% protection by 2030 – at the minute it's about 8.3%. "Ireland is one of the countries furthest behind in its level of protection". Ms Hunter said the seas need their own piece of legislation for protection, rather than "be shoehorned into a piece of legislation that is designed to manage human activities". Marine and coastal habitats Ms Hunter said recent reports suggest that areas are at risk. "The latest reports on the condition of marine and coastal habitats within some of Ireland's marine protected areas are showing that a huge number of these are in an unfavourable status," she said. "There's a whale-watching company in Cork that closed recently because there are no longer the whales to keep that business going". Ms Hunter said some marine species are closer to extinction than people may realise. "There are animals in Irish seas which are closer to extinction than many of the big species we may think of when we hear that word [such as] snow leopards, giant pandas," she said. "There are animals like the flapper skate, the angel shark – they are ranked as being closer to extinction than any of those other species." Ms Hunter said the decline is due to a number of factors including climate breakdown, water quality issues and habitat loss. 'Our sense of identity' Ms Hunter explained her love for the sea came from her childhood. "It's like another world out there," she said. "I grew up, spending a lot of time in Donegal, around Lough Swilly. "There's so much different marine life that Ireland has - the size of Ireland's sea is about seven-times larger than the size of the island itself". Ms Hunter said Irish waters contain "huge numbers of sea birds and coastal animals" as well as 26 different types of whales and dolphins. "Even more recently discovered animals that were thought to be lost: there are angel sharks in Tralee Bay and there's even coral reefs". Ms Hunter said such creatures are "deeply bound into our stories and our sense of identity". As part of her research, she spent four months on a vessel in 2009. "It's a wonderful experience, it can be a tough experience," she recalls. "There were a lot of storms; we had to actually rescue a rower trying to make his way over the Atlantic Ocean at one point. "You learned to stick your life jacket under one side of your mattress to sort of push your mattress up against the wall. "That held you in in your bed, so that the storms didn't chuck you out of your bed halfway through the night".
Irish Independent
12 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Member states push back against limits on CAP crisis reserve
EU diplomats seek flexibility for farm crisis payouts as capitals reject tighter Commission control over €450m reserve Euractiv EU diplomats are seeking to give capitals more leeway to pay out farmers during crises under the Commission's agriculture simplification package, on which they aim to reach an agreement after the summer break. The Danish Presidency of the Council is optimistic about securing a position on the proposed changes to the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in September or early October, two EU diplomats told Euractiv.
