Sir, - Terry O'Neill's congratulatory letter (February 3rd) to previous contributors on this subject prompts me to ask whether the time has not come for the bigoted ostriches of this nation of ours to extricate their heads from the sands of their bigotry and to desist in their efforts to give legs to a debate which I am sure causes hurt and fuels sadness among those personally involved, young and old alike.
Why try to enjoin party colleagues and other political leaders in the debate when their only failing is to recognise an unfortunate situation that has existed for some time past?
If, according to Mr O'Neill, a lack of principles and gutlessness is responsible for the silence of John Bruton, Nora Owen, Mary Harney, Des O'Malley and Ruairi Quinn, I wonder if he has ever heard of charity - which, in the sense that I use the word, takes the highest of principles and the greatest of courage. - Yours, etc., Ken Whitaker,
Skerries, Co Dublin.