Sir, Having participated in AfrI's Famine Walk last Saturday under the theme "Famine is Political", and having listened to Don Mullan, Fr Brendan Forde, Joe Murray, Dino Rai (East Timor), Roisin Boyd and Liam O'Maonlai on the platform in Doolough, it was brought home to me how ignorant and shameful is the "celebration" this weekend in Millstreet.
It was indeed heartening to read lest Tuesday the splendid article by John Waters in your newspaper. Are we afraid that the peace process will be affected it we suitably mourn our famine dead and declare that "famine is political". We have only to look around the world at the starvation and malnourishment to realise that indeed famine is caused by political activity or the lack of it. Or is the "Celtic Tiger" now going to close its mouth when injustices are seen?
Just as there cannot be peace without justice, neither can there be genuine peace without the open acknowledgement of the truth, the truth of our history. This truth cannot be obscured by people "dancing on the graves of the famine dead". - Yours, etc.
Laois Justice & Peace Group, Portarlington,
Co Laois.