Madam, - Minister for Sport Martin Cullen seems determined to keep wobbling on the high beam, giving as fine an example of mental gymnastics as a Russian medallist. No matter how often he falls flat on his face, he climbs back up there, oblivious to the fact that he should not be representing Ireland at these Olympics.
Your edition of August 16th quotes him as saying: "I can think of a lot more countries that I would be a lot more uncomfortable in than I would be from a Chinese point of view. . ." Why should an Irish Minister for Sport be attempting to give a "Chinese point of view?" He went on to say: "Taking everything into account I think the right thing to do was to be here."
This is where the mask slips and Mr Cullen gives away his real reason for being at these games. The clue was in the accountancy phraseology. Mr Cullen has done a profit and loss audit on his attendance in Beijing. Human rights do not show up on any balance sheet. The only realities allowed for are commercial. The names of Darfur, Tibet and Burma are not in Mr Cullen's ledger.
So although Beijing reneges on all the promises it made - the pre-conditions for its being granted the games - and although the living hell continues for the people of Tibet, Burma and Darfur, Mr Cullen believes it is entirely appropriate that we give our support to China. Goal does not.
When Ireland should be sending a signal of solidarity to the subjugated people of these countries, instead we are saying: "Not to worry, so long as there's a few quid in it for the Old Sod, let the baton charges, the imprisonments without trial, and the plundering of resources and ethnic cleansing that we are seeing in Darfur go on". - Yours, etc,
JOHN O'SHEA, Goal, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.