GERY FLYNN,
Sir, - The murder of the Chinese student Zhao Liu Tao in Dublin last week was a tragedy for him and his family, and an outrage in a so-called civilised society.
Surely it should be recognised as the wake-up call Ireland has been dreading. Can there anyone now who doubts the warnings from Amnesty that there has been an alarming increase in racist incidents throughout the country?
It is still not too late for our politicians, national and local, to display the characteristics sadly so rare of late in Irish political life - courage and leadership - by denouncing unambiguously the ugliness that is racism, and drafting powerful legislation to combat it.
Our government especially must set the agenda for the debate on multiculturalism before the more sinister elements already gathering on the margins become the loudest voices.
By remaining silent, most politicians here have shown they have learned nothing from the mistakes made in other European countries in dealing with what could become our latest national scandal. - Yours, etc.,
GERY FLYNN,
Rockfield,
Athenry,
Co Galway.