Letters to the Editor: Palestinians enduring an inhumane level of suffering

UCC Student Union president Asha Woodhouse addresses protesters in Cork in solidarity with the people of Palestine. Picture: Damian Coleman

The Ireland Palestine Mental Health Network (IPMHN) was established by mental health practitioners from across the island of Ireland on May 2, 2020. 

We share the deep concern of so many people of conscience for the unnecessary suffering and mental anguish that has been, and continues to be, inflicted on the Palestinian people, including in the current crisis.

On Sunday, Palestinian doctor Ahmad Abu al-Aouf, who served as director of internal medicine at Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital, was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike, alongside another doctor, Moueen al-Aloul, one of the coastal enclave’s few neurologists, who was reportedly killed as well.

Also, our psychologist colleague Raja Abu Aloud and her four children died under the rubble on Sunday in Gaza. 

We feel morally bound to express our sense of alarm that the inhumane level of suffering that Palestinian children and their families are being subjected to will have a lasting, traumatic effect for generations to come — long after the media and the attention of our political leaders has shifted elsewhere.

We call on the Irish Government, the EU and the UN to urgently exercise their legal and moral responsibility to safeguard the human rights of all the Palestinian people, and their entitlement to justice, by using the many avenues at their disposal.

Aine Hutchinson, Psychotherapist MIAHIP, MIACP, ICP, CQSW; Arlene Healy, Psychotherapist, MSw, CQSW, Adv Dip Supervision; Mary Jennings, Focusing and Mindfulness Practitioner, MA,MTAI, Mem TIFI; Eamon McMahon, Retired Psychotherapist and Social Worker, CQSW, MSc Psychotherapy; and Carmel O’Hara, Psychotherapist, MICP, ACI, FTAI, Mindfulness Teachers Assoc of Ireland

Dopey attitude to possession of cannabis

I read the article ( Irish Examiner, May 16) about a 54-year-old man who was hauled into court to answer for his crimes Man pleads guilty to €4 worth of cannabis.

What was the law that this abhorrent member of our pious, upright and decent community was accused of violating with utter disregard? Possessing €4 worth of cannabis for personal use in order to assuage chronic pain.

Give me a break. Are our upstanding gardaí really that hard-pressed to do some actual policing that they’ve reverted to pushing authoritative propaganda like it’s the 1950s? 

I’m sure they’d be better off actually serving the community by patrolling the Luas, bus stops, and trainlines where gangs of lawless, roving youths have most recently taken to congregating at in order to harass commuters.

That’d be asking too much I suppose. As it they’re already doing the particularly difficult job of standing in the middle of the road and asking motorists where they’re heading off to.

In a world that has mostly embraced the plethora of positives and upsides of legalising marijuana (both medicinally and recreationally), Ireland seems to still be naively clinging onto faux virtuous ideals from an intolerant past. 

Moralistic old wives tales based upon absolutely no scientific research or facts, just gossip, hearsay and fear mongering in the form of sensationalised puff pieces; headlines boldly reading:, “Weed like handing a loaded gun to teens, experts say”.

My question is: What experts? Are we talking about actual professionals in the medical and psychiatrist fields, or 78-year-old Father Quilly who leads the local congregation, has never been married, or left the country in over 60 years? 

Newsflash Ireland — the results are in and it’s unanimous; alcohol is pretty bad, cannabis, not so much.

But yet again, here we are as a nation. Further propagating our international reputation as “the drunks” of the world by continuing to hypocritically demonise marijuana and responsible, hard working, honest users who wish for nothing more than to peacefully light up a joint at the end of the long day in the comfort of their own home and unwind without the fear of the Garda Armed Support Unit kicking the door down and promptly whisking them away to jail for possession of a half a gram of weed.

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Meanwhile Grafton Street and the Quays look like Daytona Beach during spring break whenever there’s even a glimmer of sunshine. Inundated with unmasked, drunken revellers with plastic takeaway pints, basking in inconsequential disorderly public drinking and joining along in sing-songs.

For Pete’s sake, all we’ve been repeatedly bashed over the head with throughout this pandemic is how it’s imperative the pubs be allowed to open, immediately. 

Because, you know, of how absolutely essential and vital they are to the stability and survival of our culture and community.

“What’s that? Jimmy’s a rampant alcoholic? No, no he’s fine. Sure he loves a pint (or 13) but he’s great craic really.”

Need I mention the way chronic heroin abusers are catered to in this country?

Our esteemed government could double as contortionists with the level of bending over backwards they do for addicts seeking their fix for the day.

Kidney disease and hooked up to a dialysis machine due to your affinity for the gargle; he’s fond of the drink. Wandering aimlessly around the street, scratching your skin, aggressively panhandling for “a bit of da gear”; he’s sick and needs help.

Light up a joint at a music festival or in the privacy of your own apartment; call the gardaí, we’ve got some antisocial behaviour afoot.

Our sense of moral obligation and righteousness is terribly outdated. 

Irish society must find another scapegoat on which to project our own failures, insecurities and self-conscious hang-ups. Like our TDs for instance.

In the meantime, Cannabis needs to be legalised or decriminalised and taxed, cause the only “dope” in this situation, are the ones overseeing the prosecution of citizens for possessing plants.

Chris Rodriguez

East Wall

Dublin

Historian link up for info on Lynch

I am a historian residing in Skerries, north county Dublin, and I am writing a new biography of the IRA chief-of-staff Liam Lynch. It is due to be published by Merrion Press in autumn 2022.

I plan to visit Cork at the end of July, and I’d love to get in touch with any local historians, relatives of Lynch and those close to him in the period. I can be contacted through my website here.

Gerard Shannon

Skerries

Co Dublin

Pennies for Penneys

Doesn’t it seem that Penneys made lots of pennies with the easing of Covid restrictions?

John Williams

Clonmel

Tipperary

Life imitates art

The latest suggestion by Britain’s ex-prince Harry that his life was like The Truman Show is doubtful.

In that film everyone liked him, he had a productive life, and he believed he was just a normal person.

Dennis Fitzgerald

Melbourne

Australia

President Higgins has let us down

I think we have reasons to be disappointed in President Higgins since the arrival of Covid-19. 

I had been an admirer of Michael D prior to his absolute acquiescence with emergency laws enacted during the past year, and wonder why he has not made a peep or questioned a single move the Dáil has enacted, often to the shock of we, the citizens.

I thought that acting as a constitutional watchdog on our behalf is a cornerstone of his office; or to at least assure us of his conviction that all is well while we worry that he might fear he does not wish to be labelled a ‘thundering disgrace’ by the powers that be. 

A disappointing year for the Áras, I would confidently say.

Robert Sullivan

Bantry

Co Cork

HSE’s underspend on cyber security

HSE chief executive Paul Reid earns more than €400,000 a year, and there are many other high earners at every level in the HSE at a cost to the taxpayer. 

If a fraction of those salaries was taken for cyber security, we wouldn’t have the problem of last week’s ransomware attack.

Reid and the HSE needs to be confronted on this issue. How come no private corporate company bigger than the HSE was attacked? Because they ensure it doesn’t happen.

Ian Hester

Ballymacurley

Co Roscommon