Madam, - I recently received a leaflet from Cóir, a right-wing group campaigning against the Lisbon Treaty. It was the most entertaining work of fiction I have read this year.
This leaflet claims that the Lisbon Treaty will force Ireland to change its laws to legalise prostitution and hard drugs. Cóir also alleges that the treaty will lead to the introduction of abortion and euthanasia. The leaflet claims that unnamed "legal experts" have supported these claims - clearly the expertise of these anonymous individuals is so great that there is no need to name them.
I look forward to further intelligent analysis of the treaty by Cóir, such as - they voted for the Lisbon Treaty in Atlantis and look what happened; the European Commission is a secret coven of witches and should be burnt at the stake; the treaty marks the coming of the Antichrist as foretold by the prophets.
It is worth noting also that Cóir has produced a campaign poster featuring three monkeys. There is no indication anywhere on the poster of who Cóir are or what interests they represent; even the group's name is virtually invisible in small lettering at the bottom of the poster.
Should we assume, therefore that the individuals depicted on this poster are members of Cóir? Or do the three monkeys simply represent the intellectual content of Cóir's campaign? - Yours, etc,
JOHN WALSH, Clonsilla, Dublin 15.
Madam, - "People Died For Your Freedom. Don't Throw It Away," says the Cóir organisation on one of its "Vote No" posters. This text is superimposed on a picture of the 1916 Proclamation (The Irish Times, May 15th).
People did indeed die for our freedom - most recently in the World War of 1939 to 1945 when, for our own reasons, we remained neutral. Nevertheless it is widely accepted that if the Axis powers had invaded this country we would have been treated little better than the unfortunate citizens of Poland, Czechoslovakia and others.
The aim of the whole European project is to foster co-operation between nations that were at war twice in the same half-century, and to ensure it never happens again.
The use of the Proclamation is also interesting. Paragraph two of that document notes the support given to Ireland by her "gallant allies in Europe".
I believe the poster unintentionally encourages a Yes vote. - Yours, etc,
DAVID POWER, Grange Manor, Lucan, Co Dublin.
Madam, - On Wednesday the director of the Labour Party's campaign for a Yes vote, Joe Costello TD, Tried to link the anti-treaty group Cóir to "ultra right-wing fundamentalist organisations such as Youth Defence and the Pro-Life Alliance".
Does Mr Costello not appreciate that these two groups represent the fundamental values of Christians, Muslims, Jews and people of other faiths who believe in God and His command that "Thou shall not kill"?
Presumably he would also classify Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict and Mother Teresa as extreme right-wing fundamentalists. - Yours, etc,
JOHN FERRY, Marymount, Sligo.
Madam, - Catherine Day (Opinion Analysis, May 15th) tells us the Lisbon Treaty will help the EU become a "soft power". When in Ireland recently, the EU president was questioned about the EU's response to China's violent crackdown on Tibetan dissidents. He made it clear that there was no question of EU sanctions against China.
A few years ago when public anger in Europe was at its height over the actions of Israel in the Occupied Territories, the EU put up a special page on it's website "explaining" why sanctions against Israel would be counter-productive. Since then the EU has had no problem supporting sanctions against Iran for something it might do in the future.
The people in the Gaza strip are facing horrendous conditions because of the Israeli blockade. The EU is collaborating with that blockade by its actions at the Rafah gate.
If this is "soft power", it's the kind that Neville Chamberlain espoused.
That resulted in over 40 million dead Europeans and the Holocaust. It is up to us to make sure this does not happen. - Yours, etc,
PHELIM MURNION, Páirc Thiar, An Spidéal, Gaillimh.