Public servants are people, too

I have been a public servant for 20 years and am saddened by the demonisation of my sector.

The majority of public servants care about their work and do their best. Could some do better? Are some incapable of doing better? Yes, but these are the small minority.

There are good and not-so-good in every sector of society. The public sector, like our body politic, is a reflection of its society.

What depresses me most are the ‘four legs good, two legs’ bad generalisations by media commentators.

I am not precious. I recognise the role of fair debate and robust comment. In times of strife, it is an unfortunate human reaction to scapegoat others and pronounce them guilty of all of our sins and evils. I can understand that all tax-paying citizens are entitled to a view on how their tax euros are spent. But an eye for an eye will make the whole blind, and cut after cut eventually leads to death from a thousand.

I respect the right of the fourth estate to make fair comment, but unfair comment and opinion I must contest. I suggest to my fellow public servants, public sector pensioners, and their family members that you all carefully distinguish between fair and unfair media coverage. Where you discern the former, we must take it on the chin; where we encounter the latter, then we should and must react.

In my own case, this will consist of looking at those who advertise with, or on, media outlets that I consider have been unfair, and, perhaps as much as debate on the letters pages, I shall spend more wisely the few bob that I have left.

To paraphrase Shakespeare in the Merchant of Venice: “I am a public servant. Hath not a public servant eyes? Hath not a public servant hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer…? If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die?

“And if you wrong us shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a public servant wrong a commentator, what is his humility? Revenge. If a commentator wrong a public servant, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard, but I will better the instruction”.

Kevin Curran

Oakmount Tower

Co Cork