Sir, - While I don't doubt her good intentions, I feel the emotive language used by Barbara Johnston of the Congress of Catholic Secondary Schools Parents Association (Opinion, March 12th) brought more heat than light to the debate over the teachers' action in pursuit of their pay claim.
In common, I suspect, with the majority of people, I have little sympathy for many of the arguments advanced by the ASTI. However, to suggest - as Ms Johnston does - that they have "kidnapped our children's future and are now holding that future to ransom" is unlikely to achieve anything other than to further polarise the dispute, with those very same children the ones who will suffer most.
Ms Johnston went on to thus admonish the striking teachers: "Instead of behaving like professionals, you are behaving like terrorists." Anyone who has lived in these islands during the past three decades must be all too keenly aware of how real terrorists behave as they seek to reach their goals. To suggest that teachers have mirrored such behaviour is patent nonsense.
However, Ms Johnston did not let matters rest with that dubious simile. Rather, she went on to write the following gem: "We trusted our children to your care and you have lined them up in the sights of your nuclear weapon and are beginning the countdown to destruction."
Just as Ms Johnston has questioned the suitability of striking teachers for their profession, her use of this type of language to advance her argument causes me to ask how suited she is to act as spokesperson for the doubtless well-meaning association that she represents.
Finally, lest conclusions be jumped to, I am not and never have been a teacher. I am also not related to or even particularly friendly with any teachers. - Yours, etc.,
Brian Nolan, Gallweys Hill, Tramore, Co Waterford.