Disagreeing with a man doesn’t mean you have to hate him

Whether it was his proposed bill on blasphemy or his gangland crime bill, the Minister for Justice’s actions in recent times have proved our national capacity to rush to personal judgment, rather than address the ideas involved

I KNEW my marriage was over eight months after it began. The certainty was total. I got into the passenger seat of his car and looked fixedly out through the window on my left, counting the ghostly lampposts as they materialised and disappeared. Waiting for the apology that might give us a future. It never came.

I couldn’t believe it. He had disagreed with me in front of four friends. Worse, he had explained to them in great and enthusiastic detail why my point of view was unsustainable. I had sat, cheeks flaming, earlobes swelling with rage, while he had supplied much more evidence than was required to disprove my case.