SF proclamations on human rights spark bouts of nausea

SINN FÉIN Cllr Kieran McCarthy is indignant (Irish Examiner letters, December 3) that his association with that party is being given particular significance in regard to the recent Corrib gasline protests in Co Mayo.

He wonders whether his particular party affiliation should affect how people take his views, or whether associations with parties other than SF would be subject to the same kind of prejudice. If he does not already know, I feel I should tell him that the answer is both yes and no.

There is prejudice about the other parties, but not quite the same as with SF. Whenever its members express a public view on the importance of democracy, human rights, rule of law, justice for local people, or anything of that sort, he should expect most decent people to suffer from prolonged periods of nausea and general disgust. These symptoms are caused by exposure to high levels of cynicism, vast hypocrisy and by memories of young people with their knees smashed in, intimidation of witnesses and dead bodies buried in beaches.