Readers' Blog: Are men really fit for public office?

Between Donald Trump’s toddler antics, Boris Johnson’s inability to tell the truth (where’s the £350 million for NHS), and Harvey Weinstein’s ‘mental illness’ (which only appears to affect those with a Y chromosome), it is clear that men’s reputations in politics and public life have been damaged (perhaps irretrievably) for years to come.

So we need to ask ourselves — are men really fit for public office?

In the latest emotional outburst from a male politician, the usual bubbly Mattie McGrath, father of eight, became overwhelmed in the face of rational discussion and stormed out of a committee meeting. McGrath, a 59-year-old, is following on from a long line of Fianna Fáil politicians who storm out when they do not get their way, reminiscent of toddler tantrums, and causing literal Civil War.

He became hysterical after hearing from renowned Dr Veronica O’Keane, Professor at Trinity College Dublin. Are men perhaps not capable of discussing such important topics in a logical manner, without shrill outpouring of emotions? Compounding what many see as men’s inability to have a reasoned discussion, and further embarrassing men, was TD Peter Fitzpatrick who used made-up statistics that the 8th Amendment has ‘saved’ apparently 100,000 lives.

Given that Mr McGrath became so feisty in discussions pertaining to women’s private anatomy, and Mr Fitzpatrick’s use of false stats (again reminiscent of Mr Johnson’s £350m), can it be assumed that if these men were to discuss matters pertaining to their own gender they would lose the plot and thus their inputs are not to be trusted?

Or in McGrath’s case was it perhaps “that time of the day” where blood rushes from a man’s brain to his genitals and he wasn’t capable of controlling himself, and we should excuse his hysteria and blame it on hormones? Given his age, he is perhaps going through a bodily change, which again could explain his erratic behaviour.

Either way, it does raise questions of men’s capabilities of leadership and their (in)ability to keep their emotions in check.

Claire Woods

Carlingford

Co Louth