One day, somebody in authority is going to talk about right and wrong

MORNING Ireland (RTÉ Radio1, March 6) presented by Áine Lawlor featured 10 or 15 minutes of people deploring Sunday’s drive-by shooting without once using the word “wrong” or “sin”.

There was lots of talk about gardaí, sanctions, shocking new lows, amnesties for gun owners, etc but not a word about morality.

At a philosophy lecture in Trinity College in the early 1970s, the lecturer asked us if we really wanted an open society. Almost unanimously we answered, "yes". Then he asked, "but are you prepared to pay the price?"