Sir, – Kathy Sheridan’s opinion piece highlighting the various and visceral responses to the riots in Dublin, the situation in Gaza, and to the Israeli response to the Taoiseach’s comment on the release of Emily Hand, uses the word “outrage” (”A swelling mass of manufactured outrage is all around us”, Opinion and Analysis, November 29th).
“Outrage”, according to the dictionary, means “great moral indignation”, while “rage”, on the other hand, means “violent anger or passion”. I know which we’ve been witnessing regarding recent events at home and abroad, including the response of those keyboard warriors your columnist mentions.
However, great moral indignation, or “outrage”, is not something deserving of vilification. Indeed, it could be argued that we Irish have never shown enough moral indignation. Legitimate questions, legitimate protests, and legitimate commentary are now under threat because of the panic and outright fear in the corridors of power of what has been unleashed here and elsewhere, and how ironic would it be if our democracy was eroded, not by far-right, near-left, or thuggery, but by the response and reaction of those who failed to “anticipate” the outcomes of the failings of successive governments. – Yours, etc,
PETER DECLAN O’HALLORAN ,
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Belturbet,
Co Cavan.