Sir, – Daniel Sullivan (September 28th) calls upon the saints to "preserve us from amateur social scientists with a cursory grasp of statistics", but in the same letter he refers to the "taxpaying minority" in Irish society. Given that a large majority of people in Ireland pay tax, it seems the saints have condemned us to our fate.
Elsewhere, Mr Sullivan writes of an “even smaller percentage” of people “providing the means to support the rest of the population”. By his lights, poverty is prevented by the richer half of the population contributing to the upkeep of the poorer half. However, if the working poor in this country, or any country, collectively ceased economic activity tomorrow, the economy would collapse, and the riches of Mr Sullivan’s benevolent upper crust would shrivel to nothing. Who is supporting whom?
As for the saints, a 1955 study by Katherine and Charles H George, Roman Catholic Sainthood and Social Status: a Statistical and Analytical Study, found that a large majority of saints came from the upper strata of the societies in which they lived.
Saints preserve us, indeed. – Yours, etc,
RICHARD McALEAVEY,
Balbriggan,
Co Dublin.
A chara, – Perhaps it was unintentional, but Daniel Sullivan gives the impression that those working in the public sector should be viewed as somehow less productive members of society than those he would class as belonging to that small percentage “who are providing the means to support the rest of the population”.
It should be noted that the gardaí, teachers, health workers, public and civil servants, and all the other vast number of members of the panoply of those working in the public sector (and yes, I’m afraid that even includes our politicians!) are the ones who provide the framework that allows those Mr Sullivan sees as supporting the rest to thrive. Without them playing their part the rest of society would crumble.
Instead of arguing about who is supporting who, it would be better to remember that we are all supporting each other. All have an important role to play in the life of our community and the absence of any would make things more difficult for all. – Is mise,
Rev PATRICK G BURKE,
Castlecomer,
Co Kilkenny.