Sir, - Following your consistently one-sided editorial viewpoint onthe referendum, you are surely to be congratulated (March 8th) onresisting the temptation to crow over the victory for the No side.
Your final Editorial on the issue (March 5th) had urged voters to"vote No for honesty". Perhaps your post-referendum Editorial wouldhave shown a little more of that virtue if it had acknowledged that theoutcome was decided by the smallest of margins - namely, 0.84 per cent,or 10,556 votes out of 1,254,175 cast. Did the wafer-thin margin ofvictory not merit some consideration as part of your judgment on theresult? Explicitly, in your editorial view, evidently it didn't. Wasthis not ignoring an essential feature of the outcome?
But perhaps this is a classic example of how to have it both ways.You keep faith on the one hand with those who espouse your own point ofview by ignoring in the Editorial the minimal size of the victory. Onthe other hand, by being careful not to exult over the result, perhapsyou aspire to minimise the irritation your editorial bias has caused tothose who voted Yes.
Presumably you have borne in mind that of the 618,485 of thatpersuasion, a number would be among the 120,397, by the latest count,who buy The Irish Times daily. And who, incidentally, had reasonablyexpected a more balanced editorial treatment of the issues during thecampaign. - Yours, etc.,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
Sir, - Now that it is all over, perhaps the Government will tell uswhat the total cost of this pointless operation was - starting with thevaluable time of the Attorney General and his staff, the hours spent byour TDs, the polling stations staff and the thousands of stupid postersthat still litter our countryside.
However many millions were involved, surely this money could havebeen put to far better use for our schools, hospitals, roads or any oneof the many other worthwhile projects that are crying out forGovernment funding. - Yours, etc.,
GEOFF LOVEGROVE,
Stillorgan,
Co Dublin.
... ... * ... * ... * ... ...
Sir, - I note Bill Looby's desire to have his Catholic faithreflected in our civil laws (March 13th). I'm sure the Taliban thoughtthe same thing when they reflected their religious beliefs in Afghancivil law.
Our Taoiseach also wants his Catholic beliefs enshrined in our civillaws. In the past, when the same man was criticised on these pagesabout his private life, I found myself on the side of those who woulddefend his right to his personal, private view of Catholic morality.
How unpalatable it was then to see Mr Ahern, his forehead smeared inash, barracking those in Opposition who hold a different moral view tohis.
Three words come to mind - ice, thin and skating. - Yours, etc.,
MARGARET MOORE,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.