Tell them again: No means No

US Judge Damon Keith, ruling this week that the Bush administration acted unlawfully in holding deportation hearings in secret, said: “Democracies die behind closed doors”.

Since last year’s democratic decision by the Irish people our government has, in closed meetings, apologised to foreign governments for our rejection of the Nice treaty.

For the sake of our democratic health, please let’s repeat our “No” to the Men Behind Closed Doors. Besides, as Nick Mulcahy makes it clear in Business Plus magazine (August 2002), if we get the answer “wrong” again, we will just jolly well have to have a third referendum.

Like a jilted stalker, the EU ascendency says it respects us, but warns us not to make it angry by rejecting its advances again. After all, they know what’s best for us.

Oisín O'Connell

Raheenduff,

Foulkesmill,

Co Wexford