The Rule of Law: Political Culture. Irish Times Reality Article

international | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis Wednesday February 23, 2005 00:51 by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics Please

President Bush met President Chirac today...there is an urgent need to resolve disagreements and form strategies for peaceful resolutions worldwide.

Within months, the citizens of Ireland review and vote on their choice for the EU constitution.

Perhaps it is time to review our own...in the light of the Peace Process.

Surely: our focus ought to be corrupt practices North and South but not make alleged criminality, at the last hurdle towards the conclusion of the Peace Process. The Gardai exist as do the PSNI let them seek out all illegal practices irrespective of origin and act with Due Process.

The Tribunals about land deals are evidence.......

President Bush is meeting with President Chirac and others in Brussels. President Bush aims to encourage policy changes that see Europe and America heal the disagreement regarding the war in Iraq, with Europe. President Bush is unable to meet with all leaders attending…this includes the Irish Taoiseach, Mr. Ahern who has been assigned to meet with the Russian Leader. Taoiseach Ahern’s approach regarding the Peace Process in Ireland is I imagine under scrutiny. Much US influence, funds, time and people like Senator George Mitchell, President Clinton, Edward Kennedy contributed to the platform for the Peace Process in the early 1990’s…..Let us not forget this.

Bertrand Russell in his book Skeptical Essays (1928), saw his prime role as to challenge; to question; to debate. Today’s Joe Duffy’s show yielded an unexpected outcome from a number of people interviewed. If we choose to make accusations against members of a political party in Government, then put in the place the procedures to effect the criminal charges and exclude the members from the Dail. What is in effect happening is a ‘football match’ with no rules, regulations and plenty of fouls!!!! Some merited but a lot unjust.

The Peace Process…..did not appear out of nowhere. It demands the attention of people in line with ultimately the Rule of Law, but in line with the Agreement that is due to be signed. 10 years work has occurred to date.

Bertrand Russell’s words perhaps can be used as a source of wisdom…

‘Into every tidy scheme for arranging the pattern of human life,
it is necessary to inject a certain dose of anarchism –
enough to prevent immobility leading to decay,
BUT not enough to bring about Disruption.

Disruption exists; do we need more? If so Why? Is it about who forms the next coalition? If so, surely the Peace Process means more to the Political Culture of Ireland.

One need not condone the Heist/Robbery but then where is the proof and evidence? Why is the balance lost in that the fear is about ‘dirty lucre’ and thankfully not the lives of human beings. Too many lives have been lost to date.

‘The World’s a stage, and we are all actors’ I think written by Oliver Goldsmith….. This surely is case with the media coverage. Paul Murphy made it to the House of Commons and he made the statement we have been hearing about for a day…this is real personal power and imagery at the end of the day. The House of Commons have imposed Sanctions yet again on Sinn Fein. Yes, they have ‘believed’ the content of the questionably ‘independent’ Independent Monitoring Commission that clearly laid the blame with the IRA for the Northern Bank Robbery. So, sanctions exist on Sinn Fein, yet again.

Then, our actor remonstrates further - sanctions are not enough so Paul Murphy (Britain’s Northern Secretary) has told the House of Commons there will be a motion proposing the removal of allowances for the party’s MP’s.

Back to the actors in Ireland, well you have Minister O’Keefe, shuffling semantics on the Joe Duffy show this afternoon. Thankfully an astute person phoned in and said that as a member of the legal profession, he ought to be able to enact the necessary procedures to have certain SF TD’s removed from the Dail. It is not as if we are shy over such matters!! We only have to look to our elderly, psychiatric and vulnerable people and the fact that President McAleese chose to intervene prior to Christmas in line with Article 26. Yes, the Supreme Court has found the actions of the Tanaiste unconstitutional. Thankfully the checks and balances that go with the Separation of Powers proved ‘luminary’ in this case. Caution needs to be exercise in future, I would think.

Then, we have the Rev’d Ian Paisley on the stage. You can guess his performance….

Then of course we appear to have an impromptu agreement between a foursome. If only other issues like Children; Asylum issue; the prison service received such prompt attention. Equality Justice and Law Reform has a wide spread yet I question ‘focus’. Where is Minister Ahern? Where are the ‘constants involved in the ‘Belfast Agreement’? I have not seen John Hume. Former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds appears to be the only soothing, balming, mindset and yet firm.

At this stage I beg to ask the question about ‘Collective Responsibility? Even actors can abide by a party code of conduct.

Let these politicians who are biased, rooted in the greed scenario; take a firm look at their ‘behaviour’. Because it is a behaviour and ought to stand apart from their person. The hope is that each of us has a heart somewhere. Have we learnt nothing from the findings of the Tribunals? The implications of corruption will reveal itself; it will take time; but eventually people may develop the conscious and that’s their hell.

Suicide has affected me too often personally and I was greatly surprised to buy the Times today and see a full page given to Suicide. If you want to grasp pain, get a copy of the paper, page 15 and just look at the pain and suffering in the eyes of Audrey O’Neill. Audrey, talks about her son’s fear of what was going to happen next. If she left to go to the shops, her son clicked the door as she left….Fear covers such a multitude and so few people understand this.

Carl O’Brien writes about Belfast’s Ardoyne. He asks the question are these young men under extra pressures. 10 people in one year!!!

They say life is a leveler but we on the Island of Ireland, North and South need to ask this question about suicide losses North and South and is there a way, we can reach across the great divide.

February 11th, 2004 was the day that young Anthony (Cheeta) O’Neill submitted to sheer despair and took his life. Three days later his best friend Barney Cairns (18) chose a scaffold attached to the Holy Cross Church. Within 12 months, 10 people from the Ardoyne had followed this path of despair. They had no hope.

These are real live issues; people dedicate their lives to helping people and are never heard of. Nobody ever knows what motivation exists in a person but I do know motivation changes, it evolves and it is on I base my belief in the need to cultivate the political culture of Ireland, the Nation State as it blends with the North of Ireland, to move forward with Principles, Ethics, Justice, Morality, Tolerance, Forgiveness. In line with a form of Truth and Reconciliation as South Africa has done.

For people who have a knowledge of Irish history/political culture…the 1960’s Ireland saw dramatic change in economic, social and political policies and outcomes.

The then Taoiseach Mr. Sean Lemass, an EU proponent said the following:-
‘My government fully share the ideas which inspired the parties to the Treaty and accept the aims of the community as set therein, as well as the action proposed to achieve those aims therein’ (EU publication 2002)

Goodnight

Michelle