Sir, - From the South-East (April 21st) reported the publication of a book about Carlow people's success abroad. As someone who is aquainted with a plethora of exceptional Carlow people living abroad, mostly in America, I feel the endeavour is worthy. But as a person of American descent, I object strongly to the author's inclusion of a captain of General Custer's regiment who fought in the Battle of Little Big Horn as one of Carlow's prominent "achievers". To see this soldier's direct participation in what was one battle within a concerted campaign to wipe out the native peoples of North America as something to stand as a credit to Carlow people is a grave mistake.
If the events of that era were to occur today the world would be calling for the leaders responsible to be brought up on charges of war crimes along with the likes of Pinochet, Milosevic and Suharto. To put it in an Irish context, the equivalent would be to heap praises on soldiers in Cromwell's army who slaughtered countless Irish with a moral certainty anchored in the belief that their victims were nothing more than filthy, heathen beasts.
I am sure the book's author, Mr Jimmy O'Toole, would not wish to attach the good name of Carlow and its people to acts of genocide against an entire culture. I hope he will think again about including this particular entry in his book. - Yours, etc., Chris Gambatese,
Brunswick Street North, Dublin 7.
