Madam, - When commenting on the recent riots in Dublin city, many of the contributors to this page concentrate on the sectarian aspect. I feel this is missing a much deeper, more complex point.
On the whole, it seems that those involved in the riots were young men aged between 18 and 30. It is this same age-group of young man in which suicide is currently near epidemic proportions. It is this same age-group of young men who are currently involved in the majority of the road deaths and accidents that we see in the papers almost daily, mostly due to their own careless driving. It is this same age-group of young men who today are wreaking havoc and drunken chaos upon the streets of our cities and towns every weekend.
Just what then, you may ask, is eating the young Irish male?
Not being a trained psychologist, I am not qualified to answer this question. However, I am a young Irishman in this age bracket and, from knowing the mind-set of my peers, I can hazard a guess. Many young men carry an inner angst around with them which, unlike most females of similar age, they find extremely difficult to suppress or express. Instead, they deal with this suffering by lashing out, as in the various examples listed above, in the process hurting themselves or others.
In the case of the rioting in Dublin, I believe that "republicanism" was used by young, disaffected males as a flag of convenience under which to vent their inner fury and anger. Basically I don't believe it is because they are republicans that these men rioted, but rather because they are deeply unhappy and are either unable or unwilling to confront this unhappiness.
Surely it is time the Government looked deep into this hornets' nest of discontent, rather than swatting aimlessly at the hornets as they continue to sting one another and society in general. - Yours, etc,
DARRAGH HALPIN,
Stepaside,
Co Dublin.
Madam, - Vincent Browne (Opinion, March 1st) writes that much of the trouble in Dublin on Saturday, February 25th was caused by "the alienation of a sizeable segment of Dublin working-class youths from society in general and gardaí in particular".
Most of the working-class people that I know do just that - work. Many are members of clubs, are involved in their communities, and work happily with colleagues from a variety of countries. Many own holiday homes, in Ireland or abroad. As someone who grew up in a working-class area of the city, I am increasingly fed up with seeing us described in such negative terms. What has emerged in Dublin in recent decades is a non-working class or a welfare class. I strongly suspect that this is the group largely involved in the recent riot.
Such people don't work but resent those who do, and who better themselves. They hate foreigners, whom they blame for taking their jobs, or for being "spongers", if they are in receipt of social welfare payments. (Just a tad ironic, that one.) They and their spokespersons constantly complain about the unfairness and inequality of modern Ireland, while living off the taxes of those of us who work for a living.
The thought that these people's representatives could form part of the next government should chill all taxpayers to the bone. Left unchecked, they will destroy our economy, if they don't first destroy our society. - Yours, etc,
GERARD KELLY,
Orwell Gardens,
Dublin 6.
Madam, - There has been much bellowing and apologist mumbling over the recent mayhem in Dublin. The rioters were just a bunch of ignorant fools with no respect for themselves, others, or their city. Some of them were egged on by political activists who pretend to care about them.
All CCTV and weblog footage should be examined by gardaí and those identified should be brought in front of the courts and convicted for their expensive anti-social rampage.
Zero tolerance, please. - Yours, etc,
SHANE Ó MEARÁIN,
Sandymount Road,
Dublin 4.