Madam, – In a free society, consenting people, in private and with no intention of broadcasting their remarks, are entitled to make disagreeable or unsavoury or offensive or wrong remarks. That is, there is no rule that obliges people to be nice or polite.
If, in a rush to appease a mob in a politically-correct frenzy, we undermine this most basic principle of freedom then that opens an appalling vista far worse than just causing offence to certain people. – Yours, etc,
.
Whatever about the themes of their “laddish” humour in private (and I don’t agree with it or David Robert Grimes’s assessment), I think a central issue here is this: how difficult is it to turn off a recorder which you have confiscated? To give such people, who cannot find the “off” or even “pause” button, the benefit of the doubt as to their humour being sardonic or satirical is to stretch the bounds of generosity too far.
I, for one, do not sleep easier at night knowing the composition of the thin blue in this country can include such people as those who joke, through sardonicism or satire, about rape and who do not even think to turn off simple recording appliances which do not belong to them when doing so. – Is mise,
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A chara, – Niall Ginty’s reference to the “ignorant waffle allegedly indulged in by three gardaí” in Corrib (April 7th) could not have downplayed such a serious issue much more. However, for Mr Ginty to then turn the disgraceful comments by gardaí into a wholesale attack on those legitimately protesting against the Corrib pipeline really is worthy of Pravda in its heyday.
There have been many complaints over the years concerning Garda behaviour at the Corrib protests. The complaints have included those of human rights observer and former Garda sergeant Benny McCabe who last year stated that Garda handling of the Corrib gas project security had been an “anathema to the spirit of community policing” (Home News, January 7th, 2010). Indeed Mr McCabe filed a complaint to the Garda Ombudsman in relation to his own treatment and remarked that he had worked as a human rights observer with the UN, the EU and the OSCE in Cambodia, the Balkans, South Africa and in many post-conflict situations and had never been treated the way he was in Glengad.
I think we should all heed the words of such an experienced observer as Mr McCabe. Perhaps now would be an opportune time to commence a full inquiry into policing those protesting in Mayo. – Is mise,
A chara, – Some jobs require the highest standards of moral character. If there is even a perception that gardaí can get away with making jokes regarding heinous crimes how can the public feel assured that the best people possible are in place to ensure that these crimes do not happen? – Is mise,
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Madam, – I would like to thank Dr David Robert Grimes (April 8th) for explaining the value of private institutional rape humour as a coping mechanism for the incredibly difficult work of protecting property and privilege.
In very much the same spirit demonstrated by those uniformed joke-meisters perhaps you will consider publishing my observation that the police are not known as “the pigs” because they are playful, convivial or highly intelligent. I feel certain it will prove an equally effective coping mechanism for all of us who have been inadvertently exposed to this institutional laugh-fest. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Young men get 18 months training in Templemore before they become gardaí. Presumably these courses don’t include ballet or elocution.
Put two “blokes” in a car for eight hours, or so: they are not likely to discuss knitting and embroidery. More than likely they will talk about sport and sex. Often this man-to-man talk will be too rough for our tender ears. In their training in Templemore in future, perhaps the courses should include an element of poetry and perhaps gardening. – Yours, etc,