MIKE JENNINGS,
Sir, - In the 21st century it is simply not tenable to believe that Ireland can remain a single-race society. Already we have small but noticeable numbers of people from other races and of other colours and cultures living in our country.
Even if some people do not believe (as I do) that such cultural and racial diversity is welcome, then at least they should accept that it is both inevitable and irreversible and learn to live with it as peacefully as possible.
Racism is like a disease, an infestation. If it gains a grip in our society, no one will benefit. Everyone, Irish and non-Irish, will suffer. Like sectarianism in Northern Ireland, once it takes root it will be almost impossible to eradicate.
Anyone who is a patriot, who loves Ireland, has a duty to ensure that we work out our futures in harmony, not in hatred, in a spirit of inclusion, not bigotry.
Let's start by stating clearly a number of facts:
1. Asylum-seekers are not "sponging" off our Social Welfare because they are refusing to work. They are forbidden by our Government from working.
2. Asylum-seekers do not get benefits over and above what Irish poor people get. In fact no other group of people is forced to live where the Government tells them to live (dispersal policy), in the type of accommodation which the Government dictates - usually hostels or camps (direct provision) - and for the lowest amount of money of any category of Social Welfare recipient (€19.05 a week per adult, €9.52 per child).
3. Immigrant workers from outside the EU who are working here are not "taking our jobs". In fact, they cannot be employed unless their employer has a permit which is given only if he can show that no Irish or EU worker was available for that job.
We are in the run-up to a General Election and unfortunately there is already evidence that some candidates see the "race card" as a vote-winner.
Such people should stop and think about the enormous long-term damage they are doing to our country in pursuit of a short-term ambition.
There are worse things in life than not being elected to the Dáil. Being remembered by history as a bigot or a racist is one of them. Think of Enoch Powell, regarded by his peers as one of the most brilliant minds ever to be elected to Westminster. Yet he made a fatal error when in his "rivers of blood" campaign he was seduced by the easy accumulation of votes which his anti-immigrant tirades yielded. For the rest of his life he was a pariah, a man tainted by racism whom no government could afford to be friendly with. He died embittered, never having realised his true potential. His legacy is our knowledge that racism is a very dangerous thing to dabble in - it sucks you in and does not let go.
May I make an appeal to all candidates in the forthcoming election and all politicians? If you do not have the courage to speak out in favour of the truth against the clamouring of the mob, at least have the decency to stay silent and do not add to the already excessive supply of misinformation, rumour and hatred. And especially, don't disgrace yourself by the mealy-mouthed prefaces "there is a perception that. . ." or "my constituents tell me that. . ." before rocket-boosting the latest anti-immigrant myth.
Equally, could our newspapers and especially our radio stations, before publicising the latest grotesque report of outrageous behaviour or inflated benefits enjoyed by immigrants, at least investigate whether or not there is a shred of evidence to substantiate it? It is surely a perversion of the right to free speech to allow patently untrue beliefs get such circulation, especially when the end result is a growth in the levels of hatred and distrust.
Given the nature of the modern world, immigration and diversity are inevitable and irreversible. Groups such as the Immigration Control Platform are, at a minimum, misguided if they think they can turn back this tide of history. At the other end of the spectrum are people like me who positively welcome this diversity and variety. The majority of the population - as in most cases - is probably somewhere in the middle. But none of us will benefit from racism and intolerance and all of us have a duty to play our part in avoiding those evils. - Yours, etc.,
MIKE JENNINGS, Regional Secretary, SIPTU, Patrick Street, Kilkenny.
... ... * ... * ... * ... ...
A chara, - Ireland of the welcomes crossed a bloody Rubicon when Zhao Liu Tao was beaten to death with an iron bar. I was sickened and horrified by the news.
As I brooded on his brutal death I was utterly astonished by Mr Noel O'Flynn's outbursts in Dáil Éireann. I am angry at the Government's failure to face down his inflammatory remarks. What does this say about its commitment to combating racism? Sadly, the lack of leadership on this issue portends a dismal future.
If we refuse to change course, the Irish fáilte will sink into the horrid abyss of racial hatred. - Is mise,
CIARÁN MAC AONGHUSA, Baile an tSratha, Tír Chonaill.