Arab Spring revisited
Wednesday, 8th February 2012
It would appear that far from being over the Arab Spring got a complete new lease of life during the last week. Of course the deaths of so many people in a sports stadium in Port Said is a terribly sad thing but for the people of Egypt it seems to be indicative of just little things have really changed for ordinary people in that country. While they might have ousted Mubarak as President, it looks as if those who were once in power are not going to give up the reins so easily. No one ever really thought that just getting rid of a head of Government would transform the political situation overnight. But it looks as though those, in particular the military in Egypt, are not so keen to loosen their grip on power. Understandably for the ordinary
The request for euthanasia
Wednesday, 8th February 2012
Dear Editor,
Retirees have serious reason to be concerned about the danger of euthanasia.
Because euthanasia does not respect the natural termination of life but is the "active termination of life", ie that some health professionals are called to cause death by lethal injection or by other methods.
The Belgian law states says that the patient must request euthanasia and this request must be voluntary, thoughtful and repeated; and may not be the result of outside pressure.
It is also envisaged that the patient's request has to be expressed and signed by the patient or, if he cannot, by an elderly person that the patient has chosen.
Also, there will be a Monitoring Committee to avoid any errors.
In the first report of the Commission it was noted that in 14 declarations of euthanasia, or death with dignity, there was no record of the written request
The scorpion and the frog
Wednesday, 1st February 2012
When the news was announced that the Government in its wisdom was to give unsecured Bond Holders of Anglo Irish over one Billion Euro of Taxpayer's money there was, understandably, quite an outcry about it. The Government was firm though and said that it had to repay the money. But surely we don't have to repay unsecured loans to such a huge extent came the reply. Especially when the news is full of stories about Government cutbacks and there are almost daily demonstrations from towns and villages from all over the country protesting such things as vital school and hospital services. The answer came back that the loans and this huge amount of money had to be paid. However the whole situation does remind you of the story of the Scorpion and the Frog. The Scorpion wanted to cross the
Readers please note that letters to the editor must be accompanied by a daytime address and
Wednesday, 1st February 2012
telephone number for verification purposes not necessarily for publication. – Editor
Stamps and coins for charity
5 Mayfield Green,
Earls Court,
Waterford.
23rd January, 2012.
Dear Editor,
Wednesday, 1st February 2012
I would like through your columns to be able to express the following appreciation for all the support that I am continuing to receive for my ongoing charitable appeals for stamps and coins.
Thanks to all your readers who have been sending me stamps and unwanted currency (foreign and Irish) for charity. I continue to send stamps to The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (Cot death research and suppport), which receives no government funding for its important work. They managed to raise £427 from stamp sales late last year in addition to over £500 at the start of 2011, and so everyone’s unwanted stamps really do make a difference to their fundraising efforts. In addition, I managed to raise just over Euro 200 from unused stamps (Irish and UK) and unwanted exchangeable currency and donated this to Oxfam Ireland
Out of tragedy
Wednesday, 25th January 2012
The very recent sinking of a trawler off the coast of Cork and the many attempts to find the bodies of the men lost in the tragedy have given witness to many terrible scenes of grief and mourning from the friends and families of those who have lost their lives. However if one thing can come from all of this is the knowledge that in this time of grief there have been so many people who have helped those in their very dark time of need. From the many Egyptian men who have been interviewed one thing that they say time and again is that they have been overwhelmed by the sheer kindness of the Irish people towards them. They say that they will never forget the many big and small acts of kindness that have helped them to bear
Disgusted at treatment of "Waterford's Pavarotti"
Wednesday, 25th January 2012
Dear Editor,
Anyone who tuned into RTE's 'The Voice Of Ireland' on Sunday, January 15th, must have been disgusted at the treatment of one of Waterford's best and most revered entertainers.
Dick Hayes has a magnificent voice and its a pity he wasn't 30 years younger as it seems they just want that age bracket.
Dick is a soprano, Waterford's answer to Pavarotti. He could stand with the best of the top opera singers in the word, a truly wonderful voice, he did Waterford proud and is truly the voice of Ireland.
I thank Dick for all the happiness he has brought to so many. Well done Dick, you were superb.
Myles Kavanagh
Gracelands
Thomas Street,
Kilkenny
United Nations action required in Horn of Africa
Wednesday, 25th January 2012
Dear Editor,
Mark Bowden, the UN's chief aid representative in Somalia, says that during the past year the Horn of Africa drought and famine crisis has claimed "tens of thousands of lives" in Somalia alone. Mr. Bowden estimates that the famine will last for at least another six or seven months, and during that time 250,000 Somalis will remain at severe risk of starvation.
While the over-stretched African Union is doing what it can in Somalia, with some success, to combat al-Shabaab and other terrorist groups and militias, it is neither properly equipped nor trained to manage the kind of meaningful relief effort required to ensure that as few as possible of those 250,000 Somali people succumb to starvation or related illnesses.
Only the Unitd Nations is capable of mounting an operation on the scale required.
When one considers how many lives were lost
Mayor's Ball and Animal Welfare
Wednesday, 18th January 2012
Dear Editor
Would it be too much to ask that local animal welfare charities be considered at some stage to receive part of the proceeds of the annual Mayor's Ball. Once again human welfare charities are nominated to receive funding from this event while charities that care for the truly voiceless are overlooked.
While human welfare charities deserve to be supported surely it would be a humane gesture on behalf of the Mayor's office to split the proceeds of this annual event between a human charity and a non-human charity? It would be a sign that Waterford city through its First Citizen recognises that animals are part of our community and that concern for their welfare is on par with the concern for human welfare.
Unlike human welfare charities animal welfare charities strive to achieve their aim of going out of existence once
Celebrating Good News
Wednesday, 18th January 2012
The recent news that Waterford was to be the beneficiary of over 200 new jobs generated by local company Eishtech is very welcome good news indeed. Coming as it does in the new year when good news is always very thin on the ground it is doubly welcome. And after the job loses that Waterford has seen in 2011 it is a sign that things could be on the up for us and the wider region. Of course we all know that times will continue to be tough but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't celebrate good news when it comes our way. Bad news seems to be the only news that is on offer which isn't that surprising given the state that the country is in, what with recession and unemployment rates. But if you do look there is
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Google AlertWhen a company which has it's European Headquarters here in Ireland is called 'evil' and 'immoral' by M.P.s in The House of Commons you tend to sit up and take notice. The particular company that was being referred to was Google and the reason it had enraged M.P.s in London was because even though it has a big operation there and conducts a lot of business there it pays no corporate tax. It does this by having all of its financial transactions finished here in Ireland. And the company here is …
