A chara, - The sectarian verbal and physical abuse directed at children and parents attempting to attend school normally has been sickening to watch. But almost as nauseating has been the position of some of your correspondents, such as Adrian O'Brien (September 6th), who accuses parents of "putting their children through such an ordeal" and "willing to have them exposed to such sectarian hatred".
This is tantamount to telling women they are irresponsible to go out at night because they might be raped. If an anti-Traveller mob tried to stop children from going to school in Galway or a racist mob tried to stop immigrant children from going to school in Dublin, would the reaction be the same? Anyone who called on those people to take their children "in the back gate" or not to attend school at all would be rightly accused of allowing racism to triumph. There would be virtually unanimous calls for the racist protest to end, as there should be in the case of Holy Cross School, and no attempts to twist the truth with talk of "both sides" being responsible.
Does Mr O'Brien believe that the parents of Ardoyne love their children less than the parents of Stillorgan? - Is mise,
M∅cheβl MacDonncha, B≤thar Chill Bharr≤g, Baile ┴tha Cliath 5.