Parade should be held a day later in future

ON Easter Sunday Christians commemorate Christ's resurrection. Yet the Government chose the holiest day in the Christian calendar to stage a military parade in Dublin.

Even Patrick Pearse did not start the revolution until Easter Monday as he and the other rebel leaders had great reverence for Easter Sunday - unlike our current leaders who could have had their ceremonies on Easter Monday, the actual day of the rising.

If the Government plans to have a military parade every year from now on at Easter, then let it be on Easter Monday.

I think it was wrong also of Bertie Ahern to use the defence forces for political purposes as they must be seen at all times to serve the whole nation and not one or two political parties of the right.

The Taoiseach has said he wants the guns taken out of Irish politics. If he wants Sinn Féin to break from its military past, he must do the same by steering the defence forces down a non-political path. If he wants to win the next election, let him do it without using the defence forces as political pawns.

Martin Ford

27 St Anne's Terrace

Sligo