A chara, – It is unfortunate that Miriam Lord chose to paint criticism of a party leader as anything more that just that, preferring to quote "an onlooker" who believes that some in the party have accused Eamon Ryan of being a racist ("Some Greens keen to asterisk Deputy R*** out of the picture", Dáil Sketch, June 12th).
Eamon Ryan is a friend, mentor and hero to me, and has not only never been racist, but has had a firm commitment to anti-racist principles for longer than I have known him.
As an anti-racist party, we must be very clear that Mr Ryan’s swift and welcome apology is the first step on the road to improving our policies and structures, and not a full-stop that concludes an unfortunate incident.
It is the easiest thing in the world for us to criticise usage or mention of racial slurs, regardless of context, by others outside the party. It is far more difficult for us to address our own behaviour and strive for constant improvement.
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To criticise one of our own was difficult. To say nothing would have been hypocrisy. – Is mise,
Cllr PETER KAVANAGH,
(Green Party),
Clondalkin,
Dublin 22.
A chara, – Eamon Ryan quoted, in the Dáil chamber, from Sean Gallen’s Irish Times article (“I was six when I was first called a n****r in Ireland”, Opinion & Analysis, June 11th).
In reading out the racial slur word in the article, he himself has been targeted for criticism, as if he chose that word himself.
If victims of racism cannot speak the truth about their experiences, and if elected public representatives cannot highlight and discuss their plight, then political correctness will have added to the problem of “silence is violence”. – Is mise,
CLAIRE WHEELER,
Ballsbridge,
Dublin 4.
Sir, – Isn’t Eamon Ryan a lucky man? His critics in the Green Party can’t burn him at the stake for his latest gaffe because open fires are against party policy. – Yours, etc,
KARL MARTIN,
Bayside,
Dublin 13.
Sir, – It is so frustrating to see the Greens tearing themselves apart in public. We have been told that we have 10 years to save the planet, and the Green Party has a chance to spend up to five years of this crucial period in government and to implement meaningful change.
If it does not present a united front and seize this opportunity, it will have failed those who voted for it. – Yours, etc,
MARY CANNON,
Howth,
Dublin 13.
Sir, – Now that the Greens have shown themselves to be as adept at internal back-stabbing as any other political party, perhaps they will alight from their moral high-nellies and stop preaching to the rest of us.
The treatment of Eamon Ryan by some members of the party (disingenuously insisting that their criticism has nothing to do with the leadership contest) is despicable.
The fact that I am not a supporter of his party does not blind me to the fact that Eamon Ryan is one of our more decent politicians. – Yours, etc,
MARGARET LEE,
Ahane,
Newport,
Co Tipperary.
A chara, – The level of vitriol that has been unleashed against Eamon Ryan from members of his own party, for his referencing of a racial slur during a Dáil debate when he was clearly condemning racism, has been a sight to behold.
That it has come from some people who have clearly identified themselves as supporters of his opponent for the party leadership makes the attacks even more cutting.
Looking on the bright side, though, it should give some comfort to that wing of the Greens who most vocally oppose coalition with those lesser beings in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
If that’s how they’re choosing to play politics, they’re going to fit right in. – Is mise,
DAVID CARROLL,
Dublin 2.
Sir, – So much for the much-vaunted Green Party claims to be putting care for the environment and individuals above the minutiae of quotidian politics. – Yours, etc,
SEAMUS McKENNA,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – I am not a member of the Green Party but I always give it a vote. I am less than impressed with the Greens’ impersonation of a group of lemmings heading over the cliff and pushing Eamon Ryan in front of them. And his sins? He dragged the party back from oblivion. He made one unfortunate linguistic slip completely at odds with his very strong track record of inclusion and fairness. – Yours, etc,
MARY GLENNON,
Naas,
Co Kildare.
Sir, – The Green Party’s animal welfare policy states, “the Green Party is opposed to all blood sports”.
With a one-word faux-pas by its leader encouraging many of its members to display their coursing skills, we now know that government negotiations will not break down on account of its leadership’s inability to secure the inclusion of a hunting ban in the programme for government. – Yours, etc,
PAUL REARDON,
Dublin 9 .
Sir, – The only major televised sporting event available to us at the moment is the Outrage Olympics.
Eamon Ryan misspoke. Every sentient adult in the country know this. He was condemning the word and far more importantly the sentiment that produces it.
Mr Ryan is busy at the moment trying to keep the people of Bangladesh, Polynesia, Sandymount and Bandon above water. But it’s easier to trot up and down the track huffing and puffing at the Outrage Olympics. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL DEASY,
Carrigart,
Co Donegal.