Madam, - In the 19th century, the British prime minister William Gladstone was eternally confounded when trying to fulfil divergent Irish aspirations for self-rule and at the same time maintain imperial unity. Similarly the EU is equally challenged to understand and solve the modern "Irish Question".
Ireland is geographically on the margin of Europe. If we do not consider the implications of the No vote in the Lisbon Treaty referendum, we may soon be propelled to the political margins of Europe, and return to sitting on the sidelines of history. I hope, this will not be the case. I am still convinced that the vast majority of the Irish people realise the vital importance the EU has played in increasing our self-worth as a nation. We have a continuing huge debt of gratitude to Europe for pulling Ireland into economic and social modernity after 50 lost years of minimalist and retrograde politics.
The reasons for turning down this treaty were complex and diverse. However, from what can be distilled from reports, the No voters can be broadly broken down into two camps. The first major group maintained that by turning down the treaty, we would somehow get a better deal. The second group seem to have turned on the treaty because they did did not understand its basic purpose and tenets. On this point, we must clearly lay the blame at the feet of the whole political class of Ireland for its failure to communicate with vision and clarity on what was at stake.
We have come to a crossroads in modern Irish history, just as important as independence in 1922, the new Constitution of 1937, and EU membership in 1973. Which road we take will have repercussions for the next generation. The EU has been a symbol of freedom. It is a beacon to humanity showing how mortal enemies of the past can come together and share their wealth and prosperity equally. Europe has guaranteed freedom both politically and economically for 60 years from internal and external treats. The EU has managed to redirect Irish energy away from our historic love-hate fixation with our neighbour across the Irish Sea. In an ironic sense, our new-found prosperity through the EU membership has given us the misguided confidence to say No where 20 years ago it would have been unthinkable.
If and when the Irish people are asked the same question in a few months in a second referendum, every Irish man and woman should carefully consider the box they cross; our children's future and prospects depend on it. - Yours, etc,
Dr JOHN DE ROCHE, Munich, Germany.
Madam, - Ahoy there! Metaphorically speaking, I see the EU like a ship sailing on the high seas. She has large blue sails dotted with 27 yellow stars. Yes, you can guess what her name is - Europa.
This ship was first launched in 1957. She has sailed calm and turbulent waters reflecting the vicissitudes of life. As she is an imaginary ship, no port is out of bounds to her, be it Amsterdam, Maastricht or Nice. Her ultimate destination is to reach the safe haven of a closer union of European families.
At present she is docked at Nice and her intended port of call is Lisbon. The ship carries 27 mariners, corresponding to the number of EU states. Before she sails all mariners must agree on the destination. There is much collective experience on board and each voyage is well planned.
If it transpires that the other 26 mariners agree to sail for Lisbon except the Irish one, then I think the Europa will be pushed to sail away without us. If this happens we will be waving from the quayside.
What a pity to miss the boat! Let's hope this will not happen. - Yours, etc,
JOE MURRAY, Beggars Bush Court, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.
Madam, - Since French president Nicolas Sarkozy is coming soon to visit our country, it would be helpful to clarify for him that the Irish No to Lisbon is not only concerned with EU policies in agriculture, fisheries and other trade and social areas which deleteriously affect many Irish citizens, and which concern us all. The No vote has been first and foremost, for many of us, a No to changing our Constitution in order to make it subservient to the proposed constitutional Lisbon Treaty.
We are all for a co-operative Europe of nations, but not for giving up in chunks our national constitutional sovereignty either to our own Government or that of the EU. The representative democratic governance of politicians is for the sake of the participatory democracy of individual citizens, and not the other way around. Clearly, this is not 'a problem circumscribed to Ireland". - Yours, etc,
Prof TERESA IGLESIAS, School of Philosophy, UCD, Belfield, Dublin 4.