A courageous move by two TDs

I applaud the symbolic attempt by TDs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace to inspect two Hercules C130 transport aircraft at Shannon airport.

The failure of the State authorities to ascertain the presence or otherwise of weapons on such flights is a source of great concern, given our ostensible — and legally binding — neutrality.

I am not in any way anti-American, but as an Irish citizen I resent the fact that large numbers of military planes use Shannon and can do so without as much as a whimper from the forces of law and order or the government when reasonable and urgent questions are raised as to what, if any, war materials or detained terrorist “suspects” might be on board.

Apart from the neutrality issue, we should be careful not to set ourselves up as a target for some or other extremist group by appearing to openly and unquestioningly allow our airports to be used by warring parties in the present international climate of Super Power interventionism and quasi-religious fervour.

I have read some of the hostile responses to the Shannon protest online; the two TDs have been excoriated by anonymous scribes who lack the courage of the people they condemn.

Fair play to those brave Dáil deputies: They are keeping alive the spirit of peaceful, passive resistance, following in the tradition of James Connolly, the Wood Quay campaigners, the Save Tara activists, the Dunne Stores anti-apartheid women, and the Suffragettes, all of whom endured ridicule and contempt.

Having exhausted the parliamentary process, having listened to all the meaningless non responses during Dáil question time from government on the alleged transportation of weapons through Shannon, the two TDs pursued the only remaining option of non-violent but highly effective protest. How refreshingly different from the attitude of politicians who made empty promises, displayed abject moral cowardice, sold out on our sovereignty, or who delivered our country into the jaws of a life-destroying austerity regime.

Clare Daly and Mick Wallace hurt nobody in their protest. On the contrary, they affirmed in a colourful, innovative way the right of the Irish people to uphold our constitutionally enshrined neutrality and to preserve our non-alignment with any of the industrial military complexes in the world.

At a time when war and civil strife are convulsing so much of our planet, it is imperative that we do not facilitate, indirectly or by design, the waging of war by any nation.

John Fitzgerald

Lower Coyne Street

Callan

Co Kilkenny