Posted: 21 May 2009 03:11 AM PDT
One of things overlooked yesterday when the report came out was the
recommendation of the commission.
The report calls for a memorial to be built and inscribed with the words of
Bertie Ahern, who apologised in 1999 to victims of the abuse.
While the survivors of the abuse have been vindicated there is to be no
justice due to the collusion between state and church, which allowed the
abuse to happen unfettered and then essentially gave the religious orders a
free pass when it came to being prosecuted for their despicable crimes.
Yet the commission recommends we build a monument with the words of the
former Taoiseach, the man who led his government through a frenzy of greed,
fraud, cronyism, nepotism and back-slappery which sees the country on the
brink/in the throes of financial meltdown. A man whose government did deals
with the religious orders which saw the taxpayer front the bill for
compensation while they kept their buildings, their land, their power and
influence over schools.
So Bertie Ahern apologised unreservedly to the survivors of the abuse. If
it wasnt him it would have been somebody else. And it would have meant just
as much.
A man who said of Ray Burke, monstrously corrupt Fianna Fail politician:
I always found him to be a proud honourable man, loyal
and true, persevering and principled, caring and
committed but tough and a person who often lost friends
very easily. On behalf of the Government and
particularly on behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party, I thank
him for his distinguished years in the service of his
constituents and his country.
A man who, when questioned about his personal finances said:
Im not answering what I got for my Holy Communion money,
my Confirmation money, what I got for my birthday, what I
got for anything else, Im not into that.
Of course he was above having to be answerable to the people of Ireland,
despite what he said in 1996:
The public are entitled to have an absolute guarantee of
the financial probity and integrity of their elected
representatives, their officials and above all of
Ministers. They need to know that they are under
financial obligations to nobody.
What an utter hypocrite.
I think a monument to honour the survivors of insitutional abuse is a good
idea. It should serve to shame and remind us what depravity and iniquity we
allowed in Irish society, it should stand as a testament to those who were
brave and courageous enough to speak out, and to those who cannot despite
suffering at the hands of those evil men and women.
But must we taint it with the words of a man like Bertie Ahern? Have the
survivors not given us more eloquent, more moving, more honest words than
his?
We owe them better.
Source: 20 Major Still Smoking in Dublin Pubs
