Madam, - As so often here in Northern Ireland, the past week has been one of contrasts: beautiful weather, a fantastic Balmoral show and the murder of a young man for no other reason then his religion.
I am depressed at the collective failure to face up to sectarianism in our society. I am ashamed that another life has been lost and concerned that most of us seem to think it is enough to express our disgust, much as I am doing here, and then do nothing. We are great diagnosing the problem - sectarianism - but like a bad doctor we prefer to tackle the symptoms rather then the cause.
But how do you tackle the causes of something so engrained, so pervasive, so normal in this abnormal society? Well, first I think there should be some leadership from the front. When the Assembly meets on Tuesday, any politician interested in tackling this underlying evil should get down to business and form a government. This is not a political point it's a statement of the obvious. The absence of visible collective leadership trickles down to community level where it becomes a good excuse to hate. It is also costing us jobs, investment and the opportunity to make something of this place.
When our power-sharing executive is elected the first item on the agenda should be tackling sectarianism. Politicians should start with the document "A Shared Future", which is supposed to be government policy, and set about drawing up a plan for its implementation rather then leaving it to gather dust. They should have the courage to consider whether educating our children apart is really a good thing. They should consider ways to actively pursue and prosecute those who deface our streets and our lamp-posts. They should demand that all members of the Assembly sign up to an anti-sectarian contract which commits them to removing sectarian language, images and arguments from political debate in Northern Ireland.
Perhaps the problem is that if politicians weren't trying to sell the electorate what they are against, they would have to actually tell them what they are for.
- Yours, etc,
CONALL McDEVITT, Belfast 9.