A chara, - Fintan O'Toole (October 2nd), seems to miss the main point for the State funeral for Kevin Barry and his nine comrades. He seems to suffer from that symptom that we should apologise for being free and for the way in which we secured our freedom.
Ireland is not alone among the countries of the world who secured their freedom through violence. Indeed most states emerged from a violent period. In Ireland in 1920 unfortunately we were we not dealing with a benign British government who needed a little nudge to give us our freedom. There was no other way open to Irish nationalists at that time.
The British government had ignored the democratic wishes of the people as expressed in the 1918 election. Indeed, we were struggling against one of the most oppressive governments who 50 years earlier allowed one million of our people to starve to death. Our freedom was won through the actions of people like Kevin Barry and his comrades. This freedom allows me my point of view and Fintan his. Fintan O'Toole is like myself a lucky product of history, we were born into freedom. We had other choices we could make.
Unfortunately others born on this island were faced with a different set of choices. The faltering peace process will hopefully, if it survives its present difficulties, give all our people new choices and new freedoms.
It's so easy with benefit of the hindsight of history to condemn men who lived in a different era. Do you think for one moment the Americans even after the dreadful events of September 11th would shy away from honouring those who through violent actions secured freedom for them, people like George Washington or Paul Revere? Or can you imagine the French not honouring those who stormed the Bastille?
I am proud of those men who died and in their sacrifice delivered freedom to those of us in this State. We should rightly afford them a State funeral, my only concern on this matter is why has it taken so long? - Is mise,
Maurice Quinlivan, Dooradoyle, Limerick City.