Totalitarianism by stealth or stupidity

THINKING back to watching the RTÉ Prime Time Documentary A Mission to Prey in which Fr Kevin Reynolds was judged guilty by RTÉ, I remember asking myself how RTÉ had verified these allegations, to be so confident as to broadcast vile and malicious accusations that could ruin the man’s life.

I wondered why he hadn’t been found guilty by a court.

A week after RTÉ’s apology was issued I listened to a TV3 presenter telling Dana that there was no way that any mainstream media could publish such an allegation (in relation to her Prime Time revelation) without absolute proof.

I was not sure whether this was tongue-in-cheek, but RTÉ’s behaviour had proved that priests and anything Catholic, like Dana, is fair game in the media today.

Ironically, the day Dana contests the presidential election, the electorate are being asked to confer new powers on the Oireachtas, to investigate any matter deemed by the same Oireachtas to be of national importance and to give power to the very same Oireachtas to pronounce judgment on whatever matter they have deemed fit to investigate.

These are the same houses who have failed the people in relation to economic regulation, who have failed the people in relation to children entrusted in the state’s care, who are self-serving to the extent of awarding themselves ridiculous salaries and perks, and now they wish to set themselves up as police, prosecutor, judge and juror.

We are supposed to trust a national executor and legislator, who are effectively one in the same by virtue of our electoral system, who act as king makers when it comes to the presidential election, to remove the third estate from the equation, while the fourth estate is already acting as judge and juror with virtual impunity.

Public service justice.

So, vote yes to the referendum, and vote yes to a party political president and you have voted yes to totalitarianism by stealth or stupidity. Vote yes for a banana republic.

Dualta Roughneen

Kiltimagh

Mayo