ENDA KILROY,
Madam, - Ruth Dudley Edwards (Opinion, February 20th) portrays the ordinary people who marched for peace last weekend as a mob of platitude-chanting, intellectually challenged zombies who "allowed themselves to be the pawns of Marxists, Trotskyites, Islamofascists and cranks whose only common bond is a visceral hatred of the greatest democracy in the world". She then goes on to associate us with "the Socialist International" and "apologists for the IRA."
Apart from her own rattlebag of worn-out cliches and conspiracy theories, a naïve faith in a US democracy that seems to have forgotten how to count votes, and her complete disdain for the general public, what annoyed me most was her dismissal of people such as Michael D. Higgins and Tony Benn, who for years have championed human rights and democracy at every opportunity. Not only that, but these two people have actually gone to Iraq to try and do something constructive about this crisis while people like Ms Edwards bellow for war from the comfort of their own bomb-free sitting-rooms.
I didn't march last weekend in Ms Edwards's name; I marched in the name of people who have always put human lives before ideologies, profit and politics. If Ms Edwards could see through the fog of her own prejudices she would know that. - Yours, etc.,
ENDA KILROY,
Whitehall,
Dublin 9.
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Madam, - I would like to commend Ruth Dudley Edwards on her column entitled "You didn't march in my name". She puts forward her views in an extremely clear, intelligible and responsible manner.
It is important not to lose sight of the plight of the Iraqi people who live in that repressive and brutal regime. Nor should we lose sight of the appalling human rights violations committed by Saddam Hussein and other dictators around the world.
The current debate on Iraq is far for being black and white. Unfortunately, and ironically, pacifism is often the best weapon for tyrants like Saddam.
Our main focus should be on the people of Iraq and what would benefit them in the long-term. In examining the different aspects and dimensions of the debate, Ms Dudley Edwards has done just that; she has focused on the citizens of Iraq and citizens all over the world who live in terror.
Finally, I wish to express my thanks to The Irish Times for publishing this article. - Yours, etc.,
PETR KOLÁØ,
Czech Ambassador
to Ireland,
Dublin 4.
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Madam, - I'm sorry. I now realise I should have consulted Ruth Dudley Edwards before I took part in the anti-war march last Saturday.
It's just that, at the time, I thought I was marching on my own behalf - in my own name. And to think that I assumed that the 100,000 others were doing likewise!
If only she had published her disavowal in advance of the march, we could all have stayed at home. - Yours, etc.,
PÁDRAIC HARVEY,
Ballywaltrim Cottages,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.
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Madam, - Yet again the Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny has been presented with a prime opportunity to get his teeth into our stumbling Government. Yet sadly, Kenny has again passed the baton to his competitor, Pat Rabbitte, who is thriving on the chance to expose our Government's hypocritical and contradictory stance on the impending war. While Mr Rabbitte wholeheartedly supports the 100,000 marchers who took to Dublin's streets, Mr Kenny doesn't really know where his party stands on the issue. So, once again, FG stands for nothing.
Surely now is the time for Enda Kenny to revive FG by taking the initiative in attacking Bertie and Co. on these issues because so far, his criticisms have lacked all conviction. It's blatantly obvious that the Taoiseach is no longer the darling of the public. However, Mr Kenny is merely an inadequate onlooker at present, as Bertie gradually crumbles from his pedestal and Mr Rabbitte picks up the pieces. - Yours, etc.,
JOHN MERNOCK,
Wendell Avenue,
Portmarnock,
Co Dublin.
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Madam, - To the doves and hawks the Irish Government has added a third category: the chickens (headless). - Yours, etc.,
GERARD LEE,
St Agnes Park,
Dublin 12.
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Madam, - I don't understand the talk of a "crisis" in the EU over differing opinions on the possible invasion of Iraq. If a few members of the EU holding a different opinion to the majority constitutes a "crisis", I assume only unanimity is acceptable. This seems to be against democratic principles.
The only crisis I see is the stifling of necessary debate in the rush to present a "united" facade, covering deep divisions in opinion. - Yours, etc.,
JOHN CLIFFORD,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.