History breathed a heavy sigh all around us yesterday, both in solemn, grateful acts of remembrance and in the repetition of violence as a savage articulation of failed politics.

Recruiting anybody to become active in politics, to commit to working in our democratic process seems ever more difficult. It is, despite all of the blather about perks and pensions, often an endless and almost thankless task.

Irish attitudes to towards our lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender sons or daughters, brothers or sisters, friends, uncles or aunts and other relatives and neighbours have changed dramatically, and very much for the better, since homosexuality was decriminalised in 1993, the year those celebrating their 21st birthday this year were born.

When the general secretary of the Department of Justice Brian Purcell asked last week, after the publication of a very critical report on how that department operates, to be relieved of his duties one of the consequences that provoked the greatest response was the fact that even though he was to quit he was still guaranteed a €200,000-plus salary in whatever public sector position he might eventually be offered.

It’s almost a decade since the reassuring but preposterously optimistic deceit — "but it’s different this time ... " became a national mantra.

Anything that makes our roads safer for all those who use them must be welcomed.

Even in a world with more than enough tragedy and hurt, even in a world where our future is in jeopardy because of our persistent and suicidal refusal to use the Earth’s resources is a sustainable way; even in a world trying to come to terms with resurgent Russian, soviet-style imperialism, and, yes, even in a world where the disease from all our nightmares — ebola — is claiming ever more lives in western Africa it is impossible to imagine a more disheartening example of man’s unending inhumanity to man than the atrocities unfolding in Gaza.

Over the last few years calls for public sector reform have almost become a mantra; an invoaction that if undertaken — we imagine — might cure all of our ills.

It was entirely appropriate for the Immigrant Council of Ireland to mark the first UN designated World Day Against Trafficking by urging the Government to ensure that shortcomings in Irish law are properly addressed in its new action plan on human trafficking to this country.

So many young drivers have died in the carnage on Ireland’s roads in recent years, it has been a tragic harvest of lives cut short before their time.