Irish Examiner View: Time to face this painful, tragic reality

Dying With Dignity Bill

People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny has proposed the Dying with Dignity Bill. Picture:Gareth Chaney/Collins

We have a tradition of ignoring difficult subjects until that is no longer tenable. That dodging, that deflecting silence, may be understandable, but it is hardly admirable or honest. 

Generations of politicians were hardwired to change the subject as soon as contraception, divorce, abortion, or marriage equality were mentioned. It was, and still is, hard to blame them. They recognised what were no-win situations. Their constituents were bitterly divided on those subjects and no matter what position a politician took, highly-emotional hostility was assured. For far too long, we hid behind a Hiberno version of our neighbour’s fail-safe: “Don’t mention the war.”