Letters to the Editor: Why must we normalise genocide and arrest those who protest?
The Mohammed Leaders Picture: But Palestine Talk' 'talk About Dahman/ap Irish Israel Don’t Sanction
The MK-84 is an American bomb produced by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. The MK-84 bombs have a lethal history from Vietnam to Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and now Gaza. The MK-84 causes a supersonic pressure wave so intense that, as well as destroying buildings, it exterminates life within a 365-metre radius.
Shamefully, the US has sent 14,000 of these huge bombs to Israel since October 7, which makes the country of my birth not just an enabler but a full partner in war crimes and genocide.
And these bombs could have been on flights through Irish airspace or even through Shannon. With regards to support for Palestine, Irish leaders talk the talk but don’t walk the walk, for instance, by imposing sanctions on Israel. Or not allowing Israeli war bonds to be sold here. Or stopping all trade with Israel.
The US and Israeli governments know that the effect of MK-84 bombs on vulnerable human bodies is horrific. The blast ruptures lungs, tears off and scatters limbs over a wide area, and bursts sinus cavities.
The UN has condemned their use in populated areas. Dropping such bombs on an encampment of makeshift tents could only be intended to maim and kill as many Palestinians as possible and traumatise the survivors. It is heartbreaking that whole families were buried alive under the sand.
The two mainstream US presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, have both declared their unconditional support for Israel.
Neither candidate condemned the genocide in Gaza. Other candidates who defend Palestine like Dr Jill Stein get no airtime or debate time. Members of Congress, their pockets lined by AIPAC donations, brought the government to a historic low by enthusiastically applauding the speech by the corrupt and genocidal Netanyahu.
It is impossible to comprehend the excruciating toll Israel is allowed to exact on Palestinians day and night, month after month. It’s hard to picture over 40,000 known dead and 95,000 injured and maimed, 70% women and children.
But the hardest things to understand are that millions of people all over the world demanding freedom and justice for Palestine are ignored by their governments; that the judgments of the international courts the ICJ and ICC are not enforceable; that neocolonialism not only still exists but is rewarded; and that we live in a world which seemingly condones such lawlessness and does nothing to stop it — a world which even ‘normalises’ genocide and arrests those who protest against it.
My grandson is 13 years old. He is about 6ft 4in and his mam has him 24 hours a day.
From the time we found out he has special needs, we were let down with help for him. There has been no speech treatment for him. Everything he learns, he learns from his mam.
We have had TDs over the years but nobody could do anything because there was no staff, and what staff they had took time off for family reasons, so we were just left.
We are in the middle of September and there is no word on a school for him. It will cost the Government more if mammy and daddy have a breakdown. They need a break.
The Government is supposed to get €13bn in tax from Apple — they should use some of this to support education from children with special needs.
Taoiseach Harris says “our pledge” of €50 million to restore the GAA Casement Park playing pitch in Belfast remains in place.
This type of self-indulgent nonsense is typical of what we’ve come to expect from this Government and all 26-county Dáil politicians who attempt to outdo each other with grand gestures.
In the race to show who is the more generous when pouring money across the border to a British jurisdiction, they are also ignoring how we’re going to find school places for 160 autistic children and the many others in need here in our glorious republic, going forward.
This is the true state of our nation which is not addressed at all, but by all means let’s give our mad money over to a system where sectarian victories in the guise of sports facilities are the order of the day. This republic has no stake in the governance of Northern Ireland, so why do we persist with throwing money over that border as a pathetic plea for acceptance?
The British government says ‘no’ to Casement Park, so we step up. We are fools.
The American public is possibly faced with a no-win situation in the upcoming election. If former president Trump wins — which I do not believe he will — the country is faced with a president who has little regard for democratic principles, the constitution of the United States, the separation of powers, and checks and balances.
If he loses and repeats the belief that the election was stolen through Democratic Party fraud, as he stated it was in 2020, the January 6 act of anarchy will be viewed as a church Sunday picnic in comparison to what will happen in the streets across America.
I sincerely hope I am wrong on both propositions.
Israel’s attack on Lebanon using pagers was a terrorist attack, and should be reported as such. It quite literally sought to sow terror in a civilian population, injuring thousands, and killing several.
Of all the countless times and reasons to enact sanctions on Israel, or to expel the ambassador, surely this terror attack (on top of all the terror wreaked daily on Gaza and West Bank) is reason enough. Will our Government never act with action, instead of words?
There has been growing discontent about our bus services over the last number of weeks. Many daily commuters have experienced frequent delays, ghost buses, overcrowding, and cancellations which not only disrupts routines but also discourages those wanting to start using the bus from using public transport altogether.
Since the last round of consultation on Bus Connects, the whole project has gone silent. The initiative offers a vital opportunity to revitalise our city’s transport network. However, without expedited improvements as well as the political will of our elected representatives, the bus service in Cork is doomed to stay stuck in its current rut. A two-year wait for contactless payment to speed up boarding and other measures should be made a priority.
Those who wish to see projects like this, as well as others, undermined seem to be getting their way. More and more people are turning to buses for work, education, appointments, and social engagement. It is essential that we prioritise a transport system that meets everyone’s needs effectively.
Investing in reliable, efficient bus services not only enhances the quality of life for residents but also supports Cork’s sustainability goals by encouraging more people to choose public transport over private cars. This has proven benefits, with an improvement in business in and around the city. Without being too hyperbolic, it is crucial that we address these issues to ensure that improvements happen to Cork’s bus network and fast.