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“Freedom of Conscience” amendment by FF Oireachtas Members December 3, 2009

Posted by Donnacha Maguire in Fianna Fáil, Irish Politics, LGTB Issues.
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The Irish Times is reporting that a meeting of the Fianna Fáil Justice Committee is to take place today ahead of the introduction of the Civil Partnership Bill tonight into the Dáil. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern TD will be present to discuss the Bill with the TD’s and Senators.

Central to this meeting is the desire of some members of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party to amend the Civil Partnership Bill to include a “Freedom of Conscience”  clause for those people who oppose Civil Partnerships.

I assume that these people would include Civil Registrars who would be required to perform the Civil Partnership ceremonies. My question to everyone is: Why should any state employee be bringing their personal opinions into their job?

Would it be ok for one of these Civil Registrars to decide he didnt want to perform a Civil Marriage ceremony on a couple where one has previously been divorced? Maybe a Judge could decide he doesnt want to get involve in Divorce cases because it goes against his moral code? Maybe that Judge in Alabama was correct not to allow a non white person marry a white person? Yeah, I’m talking through my ass!!! It’s never ok to be a bigot.

Where the hell do some members of my party get off? Senator Jim Walsh and his ilk are, in my opinion, the worst type of public representatives. They allow their personal opinions i.e. homophobia to cloud their civic duty as legislators  for all the people.

If some one cannot follow state legislation, it is time that they quit their job. If a Civil Registrar doesnt want to perform a Civil Partnership, I accept that. Quit your job and give it to one of the 440,000 people crying out for work.

I am disgusted by the actions of my so-called fellow Republicans in Fianna Fáil. Shame on them and Shame on any party member who supports them.

The Northern Experiment – Where to next? December 2, 2009

Posted by Donnacha Maguire in Elections, Fianna Fáil, Irish Politics, Northern Irish Politics.
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Following Gerry McHugh’s welcome decision to announce that he has joined Fianna Fáil, the launch of Fermanagh Fianna Fáil last weekend and the earlier launches of South Down and South Armagh Fianna Fáil Fora, what is the next step?

Most people are talking about running candidates in the next Local and Assembly Elections scheduled for 2011. This is an aspiration that we must all work towards, however a lot needs to be done before we even put one person on a ballot paper. The first and most important thing we need to do is to increase our membership in the existing counties and set up in the remaining counties of Tyrone, Derry and Antrim. Membership is the key to this entire project.

The Fianna Fáil leadership are not hesitant about running in 2011 because of a lack of Republican ethos. They worry about the effect of a poor election result. A bad election in 2011 would destroy any hope of Fianna Fáil progressing into the future.

How do we get the Fianna Fáil leadership on board? The simple answer is RECRUIT, RECRUIT, RECRUIT. We need a critical mass of members in each County. We need members in each town and village. We need to see members coming together in their local towns. The decision of Gerry McHugh to join Fianna Fáil and to announce it publically gives the northern organisers the ammo needed to go to people and say “We are serious about this; if you are serious about it too, Sign up to Fianna Fáil now”.

We can no longer survive by saying “Ah sure, he’s FF, he’ll back us”. We need to get people signed up and active in their local organisations. We have a real opportunity to change the whole dynamic of Irish politics. Let’s not waste this opportunity for lack of members!!!

Agreement between Government and Unions over 2010 Pay Bill December 2, 2009

Posted by Donnacha Maguire in Budget 2010, Fianna Fáil, Irish Economy, Irish Politics.
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The Public Sector Unions and the Government have provisionally agreed a series of measures designed to cut the vast majority of the €1.3 billion from the Public Sector pay bill outlined by Brian Lenihan as part of the overall budgetary adjustments. Agreement has been reached for civil and public sector workers to take a number of unpaid holidays in 2010. As a result, the Unions have called off the planned 24 hour strike scheduled for this Thursday.

This is a stop-gap measure for 2010. It is unsustainable to continue with this proposal in to the future. I hope, for all our sakes, that the Government and Unions can agree on the drastically required public sector reform.

Gerry McHugh MLA ….. Fianna Fáil MLA?? December 1, 2009

Posted by Donnacha Maguire in Fianna Fáil, Irish Politics, Northern Irish Politics.
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There is a lot of chatter on Facebook and the like regarding UTV Live tonight. It seems they held up the front page of tomorrows Irish News and it said “Gerry McHugh Fianna Fáil’s first MLA”. I didnt see the report so I can’t confirm nor deny this. Does any one know?

My gut instinct is that Gerry McHugh has joined as an individual member of Fianna Fáil or that they are just making the leap from his attendance at the launch of the Fianna Fáil Forum in Fermanagh on Sunday.

If Gerry has joined Fianna Fáil, it poses some serious questions for An Taoiseach Brian Cowen. 1) Is Gerry McHugh an official Fianna Fáil MLA and 2) Does this mean we are running candidates in 2o11?

Either way, it’s a big week ahead in Irish Politics!

 

UPDATE @ 00:30 – It seems Gerry is to make a statement tomorrow

Can Fianna Fáil win the support of the Northern Electorate? November 27, 2009

Posted by Donnacha Maguire in Elections, Fianna Fáil, Irish Politics, Northern Irish Politics, SDLP.
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Barry Magee has recently written a very detailed analysis of the current statement in Northern Irish politics as a result of the entrenched views of SF and the DUP. He believes that FF coming North will be a positive thing for Irish Republicanism and our quest for unity. As he didnt look into the electoral impact such a move would have, I have attempted to do so in the following article. Before looking at what impact FF would have on the Northern electoral landscape, it is important to reflect on what has happened electorally since the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. I have deliberately chosen to ignore the European and Local Elections as local issues and personal popularity can cloud the actual party support levels.

The SDLP was at the zenith of its popularity in 1997 / 1998. At the Westminster Election of 1997, it won 190,844 votes which gave them a 24.1% share of the vote in Northern Ireland. Sinn Féin at the time won 126,961 votes and thus 16.1% of the vote. The total SDLP / SF vote was 317,765 or 40.2%.The next election in 1998 which following the signing of the Good Friday election saw the SDLP winning 177,963 votes and 21.97% of the vote. Sinn Féin proceeded to win 142,858 and 17.63%. The Total SDLP / SF vote was 320,821 or 39.6%. The first thing to notice at this time is the discrepancy between Westminster Elections and Assembly Elections where the SDLP did even better in Westminster Elections than Assembly Elections than Sinn Féin. I suspect that this is due to some Nationalist voters decided to vote SDLP because they would take their seats in Westminster.

As we passed the Millenium, Sinn Féin passed the SDLP out in terms of support. In the 2001 Westminster Election, Sinn Féin won 175,933 (21.7%) with the SDLP achieving 169,865 (25%). Worse was to come for the SDLP in the 2003 Assembly Elections where they saw a massive drop in their share of the vote. By 2003, a massive 60,416 former SDLP voters either didnt go to vote or voted for another party. It’s important to note that Sinn Féin’s vote only increased by 19,900. While obviously voter turnout played an important role in this discrepancy, it is clear that many SDLP stayed at home. The SDLP’s vote further eroded at the 2005 Westminster Election where they could only muster 125,626 votes (down 65,218 since 1997 or 44,239 since 2001).

At the last Assembly Elections in 2005, the SDLP received their lowest vote in 20 years. 105,162 turned up to the polls and cast a first preference vote for the SDLP. This gave them a 15.2% share of the vote in comparison to Sinn Féin’s 180,573 or 26.2%.

Overall, the SDLP vote has declined by roughly 6.85% or in terms of voters, 69,008. At the same time, the Sinn Féin vote has increased by 8.55% or 42,799 (averaging both Westminster and Assembly changes). Over the course of the past 3 Assembly Elections, the SDLP / Sinn Féin vote, while decreasing in terms of voters by 37,084 has increased in percentage terms by 1.8%. Like wise, the SDLP / Sinn Féin vote has increased by 1.93% in Westminster Elections. (* Increase in voters by 17,912). These anomalies are due to the splitting of the total Republican / Nationalist votes through the emergence of smaller parties / dissidents / local groups at Assembly Elections but who do not contest Westminster Elections. What is clear is that the SDLP are losing voters massively.

What is also clear is that Sinn Féin are not winning all of them to their cause. A significant proportion are choosing to stay at home and not vote altogether. What does this show us in Fianna Fáil? It shows us that there is a sizable proportion of former SDLP voters who cannot voter Sinn Féin. While not an election winning number of voters for Fianna Fáil, it is a base of supporters we should aim to garner to our cause.

There are also soft Sinn Féin voters i.e. those who stopped voting SDLP and switched their allegiance to Sinn Féin following that party’s democratisation programme. This is another group of voters, Fianna Fáil must look at winning to the cause. Add to these two groups of voters, we should also aim to win over those still voting SDLP today and also moderates in Sinn Féin, the UUP, the Green Party and the Alliance Party. How should the party position itself to maximise its electoral support?

Fianna Fáil is, and always will be a Republican Party. This should be and must continue to the be the party’s primary ideology. It will allow us to become the big tent party that we need to be to win in the North and to win again in the South. Charles Haughey once said at a Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis in 1974, “We (Fianna Fáil) are neither masters of the left nor servants of the right, but pragmatists of the centre”. In 2009, this is as important as it was in 1974. We should do what we have always done – Look after those who need looking after and allow those who want to succeed to succeed. This means being pro enterprise and pro social justice. There is no paradox in adopting these two philosophies. Our Republicanism allows us to do this and I believe, demands that we do this.

In the North, we cannot allow Fianna Fáil to become another party caught up in the Tribal headcount. Yes, our initial support base will be Catholic / Republican but we can reach out and win new voters. People who previously voted UUP or Alliance. Those who are looking for a society that rewards those that work hard and supports those that fall on tough times. We have shown in the South that we are not afraid of dealing with Climate Change or environmental issues. We can rightly appeal to environmentalists for their support.

Our Time Is Now. We can achieve great success in the North. The support we need is there if we look for it with sincerity. We can make Unity happen far quicker than Sinn Féin ever can. Our former leaders have shown that they have the capacity to win the trust and friendship of the unionist community.

Our Time is Now. We must take the next step towards achieving the aim of every Irish Republican. Our Time in Now.

All Ireland Political Realignment by Barry Magee November 27, 2009

Posted by Donnacha Maguire in Fianna Fáil, Guest Blogs, Irish Politics, Northern Irish Politics, SDLP.
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Barry Magee is a native of Co. Down. He is a Law Graduate from Queens University Belfast and has been involved  in Northern Irish, EU and US Politics for a number of years.  This is the second part of an article  about growing up as a Republican in the North over the past 25 years and what he feels needs to be done to achieve Irish Unity in the future

Following on from my earlier post regarding the growing up in the North during the Troubles, I would like to now discuss how we can actually progress the type of change that we want – and create a new, agreed and united Ireland.

This is a difficult one when one considers the current lie of the political landscape in the North. There is widespread inertia and this is typified by leadership failures at the very top of the political establishment between the Sinn Fein and the DUP.

This inertia is in truth a basic result of the St Andrews Agreement. This agreement created a form of balkanised “Government” in the North. It is not really a Government in the conventional sense, one that makes decisions and has a distinct presence of accountability. It is a “Government” of nobody and everybody at the same time. There is a clear lack of accountability for decision-making and it is a Government that has become synonymous with constant, almost perpetual, grid-lock and political inertia.

Considering the inability of the Assembly to properly legislate and the inability of higher echelons of the Executive to provide leadership it is a Government that does not really govern. As a result many people may begin to question the ability of the Stormont institutions to act as a proper vehicle to deliver sound and credible devolution and question whether Stormont is capable of delivering the goal of all-Ireland state.

In reality the institution stagnation is a result of the diametrical and conflicting nature of both the DUP and SF and reflects the institutionalizing of this conflict. This direct opposition only serves to perpetuate sectarian animosity and undermines any semblance of a shared society that exists. The fact that the two parties cannot even agree on a Shared Future strategy compounds this argument. This makes the prospect of a united Ireland look distinctly “pie-in-the-sky”. If political parties can’t even agree on how to live together in peace, then how exactly could they agree on something as outlandishly contentious as creating a united Ireland?

I believe that the problems with the current political dispensation are not only reflective of the composition of the mainstream political establishment in the North; they are inherently institutional. There is simply too much power concentrated in OFMDFM currently between what are confrontational and diametrically opposed parties in the DUP and SF.

Institutional reform is realistically an option if the circumstances dictate, and the current stalemate over the devolution of policing and justice may even prove to be that, but a change of political personnel is a dynamic that may not be so easily achieved. The DUP-SF mutual “love-in” has been so far electorally successful for both parties, despite the TUV giving the DUP a bloody nose at the European Parliamentary elections in June. While nothing continues to get done and the Executive workload begins(!) to drift, the DUP and SF continue to feed off their mutual blame and opposition to each other.

When republicans consider these difficult realities, a united Ireland sometimes seems like not only distant but an unachievable and hopeless goal. Not only is the leading party of Northern republicanism complicit in continuing to undermining public confidence in the devolved institutions but they have also entrenched and antagonised unionism, thus putting off the prospect of a united Ireland even further.

So who else should republicans look to for leadership? The SDLP are a party of leadership, but currently it is vastly outnumbered in the NI Executive and has a limited political voice due to the unhealthy weighting of power, at the hands of the DUP and SF, within OFMDFM. While the SDLP enjoy good relations with all parties in the South, SF has a long way to go in terms of being recognised as a major all-Ireland political force.

With virtually no influence in the South, SF seems unable to shake of the mantle of being a “northern party”. Couple this “northern party” label of SF with considerable opposition towards them in the North and it seems SF do not offer a viable vehicle to achieve a united Ireland. The monopoly on all-Ireland politics that SF currently enjoys is extremely unhealthy for both the political development of the North and for the overall all-Ireland project. I believe that this monopoly is also unhealthy for republicanism.

Firstly SF’s connections to violence will always undermine their ability to generate unionist consensus behind a united Ireland. Simply put SF will never deliver a united Ireland on their terms. This is due to the simple fact that their role in the troubles has meant that unionist do not trust them. Although this may seem like a paradox but a united Ireland will never be achieved without unionist support and any major advocate of all-Ireland realignment must be capable of gaining their trust. SF undoubtedly fails in this crucial task.

Secondly, SF negotiators at St Andrews failed republicanism with the deal that they struck with the DUP and British Government. SF gifted the DUP a perpetual veto for themselves and republicans have been living with the consequences ever since: DUP torpedoed the Irish Language Act, blocked SF’s education proposals, DUP continue to block the devolution of policing and justice powers and, frankly, there is a litany of other examples. The triple-lock veto given to the DUP by SF at St Andrews represented a sell-out and has allowed the DUP to dictate the agenda and call the shots.

One must ask whether allowing this DUP veto was either incompetence on the behalf of SF negotiators or in fact an ingenious but cynical strategic ploy, knowing that giving the DUP would be like giving a hunting rifle to Sarah Palin. A DUP veto would enable SF to play the blame game. This victimhood is the very essence of where SF draws it’s political power. Here we delve into the murky realms of SF political thought where SF cannot survive unless they can accuse unionism of oppression. Neither the DUP nor SF would be so powerful if it was not for the existence of the other: they both represent a rather perverse case of mutually dependent existentialism.

What we now have is a high-stakes political blame game between the DUP and SF. This is being pursued by each party for self-centred electoral purposes while the grid-lock threatens the very essence of the peace process, the stability and credibility of the structures in which the peace process is institutionalised and the very health of the political progress that has been made.

Thirdly, SF has displayed an inability or unwillingness to compromise and work with other parties, including their green counterparts in the SDLP. In the devolution of policing and justice debate SF have been complicit in attempting to exclude their fellow republicans in the SDLP and have attempted to deny them their democratic claims to a future policing and justice ministry. This is an unacceptable. Cooperation is also a fundamental principle of power-sharing government and their inability and unwillingness to compromise on the transfer debacle has not only created chaos in the education system but has shown SF to be incapable of being a party of leadership. The strangle-hold that SF currently exerts over republican politics in the North must be broken.

In my opinion for this to happen there must be all-Ireland political realignment involving other parties, North and South. Fianna Fail’s recent decision to organise in the North is something that should be welcomed by all republicans. This decision should not become dialectic or be about conflicting ideological issues between the various strands of republicanism, such as an argument about left or right. Republicans must look to the bigger picture: it’s about what is right and what is wrong in terms of the struggle for united-Ireland and a realignment of politics, potentially prompted by a move North by FF, will be simultaneously beneficial to the political health of the North and the republican struggle in the long-term.

Both the SDLP and SF have publically recognised this fact. They too know that all-Ireland political realignment will further advance republican goals. While each of these parties may have their respective concerns about the electoral ambitions of FF, whether FF will pose an electoral threat to these parties remains to be seen and is a discussion for another day.

The participation of another all-Ireland party within the realm of Northern politics is a development which must be accepted as an inevitable reality on the road to normalising the North and in the future create a united Ireland. Unity will not happen unless those who support it have political influence. Those driving the process forward must have influence in government in both the North and South. But it is imperative that FF, should they finally decide to contest elections in the North, operate on the basis that strengthening the republican agenda across the island of Ireland will involve cooperating with other republican parties already established here and seek to explore ways through which they can collaborate.

Even with this realignment, a united Ireland will not happen overnight. In order to bring that reality closer we must break down this cycle of deadlock in the North and make REAL power-sharing work. Republicans must also pay attention to the unionist community; a united Ireland can only happen with them on board. We must stay true to the consent principle and begin a process of engaging the unionist community in discussions about a united Ireland. This must be done by developing practical arguments for unity, and identifying the socio-economic benefits that it will bring to the table.

Another substantial issue will be dealing effectively with the legacy of the past. This is a major issue for me and one which the SF-DUP axis have failed to show proper leadership upon, instead preferring to degenerate this narrative into a zero-sum, sectarian game. There must be a proper, balanced and thorough process of reconciliation and truth that addresses the legacy of the past and all those involved.

There are many questions that will remain unanswered for the time being, including practical governance issues with unity including the implications for public finances, etc. These difficult issues are for a time in the future when a united Ireland is a more realistic prospect and when a much more serious debate can be instigated. Let’s just take one step at a time.

Launch of Fermanagh Fianna Fáil Forum November 27, 2009

Posted by Donnacha Maguire in Fianna Fáil, Irish Politics, Northern Irish Politics, SDLP.
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The Official Launch of the Fermanagh Fianna Fáil Forum will take place this Sunday in the Westville Hotel, Enniskillen at 2:30pm. Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon O Cuiv TD and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern TD will be in attendance. Both Ministers Ahern and O Cuiv sit on the Fianna Fáil Northern Strategy committee.

This launch follows on from the highly successful launches recently of the South Down Fianna Fáil Forum and South Armagh Fianna Fáil Forum. A large crowd is expected.

Fermanagh could prove to be a highly lucrative area for Fianna Fáil. The SDLP vote has dropped considerably over the past years with Tommy Gallagher flying the flag. Tommy used to top the poll with over 8000 votes as well as a running mate getting roughly 2000 votes. He now receives about 4500 votes with his running mate on about 2000. Sinn Féin are also in trouble in Fermanagh & South Tyrone. One of their MLA’s elected in 2007 went Independent in late 2007. Gerry McHugh left Sinn Féin saying that it lacked democracy and was controlling of its members. The way is clear, in my opinion, for Fianna Fáil to win back many of the disillusioned moderate Republicans and give the SF – DUP axis a run for their money.

If you believe that Fianna Fáil should go North and compete electorally, join North2011 on Facebook, contact your local Fianna Fáil TD / Senator / Councillor or contact me at donnachamaguire@gmail.com

Clerical Sex Abuse: The Fallout and Where to Next? November 26, 2009

Posted by Donnacha Maguire in Health & Children, Roman Catholic Church, Social Policy.
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Today the Commission of Investigation in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin has today made a damning indictment of the way the church authorities dealt with Clerical Child Abuse. It found that there is “no doubt that clerical child abuse was covered up by the Archdiocese and other church authorities.”

The report was published by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern TD today. Some of the main findings are below:

  • Rubbishes the view put forward by the church that the abuse was hidden from view and somehow took church authorities by surprise.
  • The vast majority of priests turned a blind eye to abuse although some did bring complaints to their superiors.
  • Clerical child abuse was covered up by the Archdiocese of Dublin and other church authorities.
  • The structures and rules of the church facilitated that cover-up.
  • State authorities facilitated the cover up by allowing the church to be beyond the reach of the law.
  • The welfare of children was not even a factor considered in the early days by State and church authorities.
  • The preservation of the good name, status and assets of church institutions was the first priority, according to the report, which states that priests were seen as the most important members of the institution.
  • Strongly criticises gardaí. It states that senior members of the force regarded priests as being outside their remit and it claims there are examples of gardaí reporting abuse complaints to the Diocese rather than investigating them.
  • It states that in the 1960s, then Garda Commissioner Costigan’s decision to hand one case to Archbishop McQuaid was inappropriate. It also states that the relationship between some senior gardaí and some priests and Bishops was inappropriate.
  • No direct evidence of a paedophile ring existing among priests in the Dublin Archdiocese although it says there were some worrying connections.
  • The report states that it was not until 1995 that the Archdiocese began to notify the civil authorities of complaints of clerical abuse.
  • The Commission concludes that in light of this and other facts every bishop’s primary loyalty was to the church itself.
  • All the Archbishops of the Diocese in the period covered by the Commission were aware of some complaints, according to the report.
  • The move by the Archdiocese to take out insurance against potential compensation claims arising out of clerical abuse was according to the report an act of proving knowledge of child sexual abuse as a potential major cost to the Archdiocese.

Since the publishing of the Ryan Report earlier in the year and due to many other revelations over the years, Irish Society has been aware of  the atrocities inflicted on children by Catholic Priests, aided and abetted by the inaction of the civil authorities. This report further damns the Catholic Church for turning a blind eye to the systematic torture and abuse of children in their care. The State must take its fair share of the blame for not stepping in as soon as it was made aware of these actions and activities.

The abdication of responsibility by the State in allowing the Catholic Church run the majority of our primary schools must end. I am glad that the Catholic Church has signalled its intent to transfer some schools to the state, but I believe it must go further.

No child can be put at risk like this again. The safest and surest way is to have all schools run and administered by the state authorities. This does not mean that religious education is barred from school. It means that all faiths are given equal time in our schools.

The Catholic Church must reform itself. I still class myself as a Roman Catholic. Over the past number of years, I have thought about “defecting” to the Anglican church, but at the end of the day, the Catholic Faith is the faith I adhere to. The way the Church operates and how it deals with its communicants must change. There has to be some relationship between Priestly Celibacy and Clerical Child abuse. We  dont see these atrocities being carried out to the same extent in Anglican, Orthodox or Protestant churches, do we?

All we can do, is hope that the survivors of these atrocities can find some justice in this report and demand that the Government bring all those responsible to justice. The Church should posthumously defrock all known priests and bishops who engaged in sex abuse and covered up the actions of those engaged in it.

WHO and UNAids confirms decline in number of new cases of HIV November 26, 2009

Posted by Donnacha Maguire in Health & Children, Social Policy.
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Two of the leading bodies dealing with the threat of HIV / AIDS have announced that the number of new infections each year is now 30% less than what it was in 1996. The World Health Organisation and the United Nations body tasked with overseeing AIDS’s prevention and cure, UNAids confirmed that approximately 2.5 million new infections were reported in 2008, down from 3.5 million in 1996. The Sub Saharan area is also down approximately by 25% in that period. Interestingly, the number of people living with HIV / AID’s has increased to 33.4 million. This is more than likely due to the various advancements in anti-viral drug treatments.

So here’s the thing. Why arent we doing more to prevent the spread od AID’s? We know that celibacy is the best way of stopping it, but let’s be honest, most of us wont accept celibacy. The next best option is safe sex i.e. using a condom practiced in monogamous relationships.  I know the Church says Condoms are evil, but to be honest, speading a disease to other people because you didnt practice safe sex is, in my opinion, a greater sin. Think before you dive in and make sure you Rubber Up :P

December 1st is World AID’s Day. AID’s is not a gay disease. It affects every strata of society, both genders and all sexual orientations. Please give kindly and wear your Red Ribbon* with Pride.

* Wearing a Red Ribbon doesnt make you gay; it just means you are aware of a tragedy that affects millions of families each year and that you want to try and help to stop it from affecting any more!

“On the Origin of Species”by Charles Darwin November 24, 2009

Posted by Donnacha Maguire in Education.
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On the 24th November, 1859, Charles Darwin published one of the most important books ever namely “On the Origin of Species”. In this work, Darwin’s presented evidence that the diversity of life arose through a branching pattern of evolution with common descent caused by a mechanism known as natural selection.

Prior to this, the scientific establishment had believe that species were unchanging parts of a designed hierarchy and had rejected ideas of transmutation of species and of humans being related to animals. The very idea that humans with its direct link to God via Adam and Eve could possibly be connected to monkeys and apes was anathema to Christians.

Over time, Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection was accepted and secular science was soon firmly rooted in scientific naturalism. While there have been many advancements in our understanding of evolution since then and with Natural Selection not being seen as the only type of evolution, it is beyond question that “On the Origin of Species” is one of the most important books ever written.  It is important to remember that Alfred Russell Wallace was also prominent in developing this theory but alas for Wallace, Darwin’s name will always be the first mentioned!

This leads me on to an important topic. Most rational, sane and educated people accept that evolution of some description took place and is continuing to take place. For example, why have we an appendix? It serves no purpose what so ever. The simple fact is that as our diet has evolved so too has our digestive system. I suspect in 10,000 years, people will need to revert to an encyclopedia to remind themselves of what an appendix did or didnt do.

So why do some schools in the United States attempt to teach Creationism as being the way humanity evolved. Don’t get me wrong; I believe in God and I am under no doubt that God had a role in creating the Big Bang and allowing for the correct factors to allow life to be begin, but come one; do you seriously expect me to believe the story of Adam and Eve as fact?

The very idea than any school system would allow this to be taught as fact is repugnant to me. As a science teacher, there is no justification for teaching Creationism other than as a story to simply God’s role in the Universe. Evolution is all around us. Evolution is there to be seen. We have no scientific basis for creationism apart from the words of the Bible which to be frank have been rewritten a couple of times over the past 5000 years.

All right-minded people, be they religious or not, must look upon Education in the correct way and not use it to indoctrinate children with ideas which are simply without basis.