1 July 2004 Edition

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Mála Poist

Hypocrisy of Sinn Féin

A Chairde,

I am an Irish American and have and will support Irish unity. I have never heard so much inaccuracies about George Bush's policies and the thousands of protestors that you report have been arrested here in the States. You might as well call yourselves French.

Could you possibly inject for one moment the good that America has done and why we are at war? Just because of the fact that the British are supporting the US does not translate into an unjust war. Have a little common sense.

When is the last time four jets flew into any of Europe's skyscrapers? Maybe WWII comes to mind and oh yes, America again saved the world from absolute evil empires, how soon the whole world forgets.

Appeasement is a favorite word of the many European countries and why not Ireland, join in on the fun and bash all of us who you define as warmongers.

Give me a break. Neutrality you say! What about the French aid in the Williamite wars? Or Spanish aid in the Elizabethan wars? French aid 1798, and all of the US aid that has and does flow from this country to Sinn Féin and all of Ireland? That is some neutrality that you boast of.

The next time Gerry and the boys come to Florian Hall in Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts for aid and comfort I'll be sure to say that they are not definitely neutral in any sort of way possible. It is absolutely hypocritical of An Phoblacht to suggest the notion of neutrality when Sinn Féin does not suggest neutrality in their own right.

I do not agree with everything that Sinn Féin stands for and I do not always agree with Bush but to generalise Bush in so many inaccuracies is very bad form and ignorant.

Tiocfaidh ár lá.

Micheal O'Conchuir,

Massachusetts,

United States.

Time to dump ground rents

A Chairde,

Now that the referendum and various election decisions have been taken, I am writing to the various party leaders on behalf of the ACRA Ground Rents Sub-Committee concerning the unfinished business of legislation to rid our communities of ground rent.

ACRA has campaigned on this issue since 1973. The legislation won in 1978 did not abolish existing ground rents from the enactment of the Landlord and Tenant (Ground Rent No 2) Act 1978.

The Fianna Fáil election promise of 1977 to "abolish existing ground rents" has never been honoured.

In particular, the evil of expired and expiring leases has never been tackled. This has produced a continuing drip of injustice, personal anxiety and loss for hundreds of householders still subjected by Irish law to the feudal ground rent code.

It is also a monument to the neglect by successive governments of a vital and necessary element of legal reform.

This neglect has been highlighted once again by the report of the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution, which was presented to the government on 7 April 2004. Will this report suffer the same fate as the Kenny report on building land (March 1973)?

Ground rents, as many a householder to their cost well knows, can create expense and delay during conveyancing of residential property. As the present Chief Justice, Mr Ronan Keane said, while still a judge of the High Court: "It is a truism that the sale of one ground rent in Dublin for £50 can cause more nightmares than an office block worth millions of pounds."

The present Programme for Government has promised to abolish ground rent on dwelling houses. When will this promise be implemented?

Tony O'Toole,

Chair Ground Rent Sub-Committee,

Dublin 14.

United against torture

A Chairde,

We are group campaigning against torture based in Santurtzi in the Basque Country. We are holding a week against torture from 28 June to 4 July under the slogan 'Not here not anywhere'. During the week we are launching our 'first international essays and drawings against torture contest'.

This is not intended as a literary or an artistic contest and no prizes will be awarded for the submitted work. The main objective is to raise a collective cry against this atrocity and denounce its use all around the globe, giving voice to all those who can't make themselves be heard by other ways.

Our rules for those considering taking part are:

a) All the works must be original and not have been published before.

b) The objective of the works must be the denunciation of the use of torture.

c) The author's name must be submitted, but will be withheld if so requested by the author himself/herself.

d) The drawings' size will be an A4 sheet.

e) The essays will be no longer than two A4 sheets and must be sent typewritten.

f) The essays can be written in English, Basque or Spanish.

g) All the works must be sent before Friday 3 September 2004.

h) All the works will be published in a booklet, United against Torture.

Both the essays and the drawings must be sent to:

Torturaren Kontrako Taldea, (Agirika) Apdo 113, 48980 Santurtzi BIZKAIA/EH

(via Spain). Alternatively, they can be e-mailed to: [email protected] or to [email protected]

Gaizka Urkixo

Santurtzi BIZKAIA/EH


An Phoblacht
44 Parnell Sq.
Dublin 1
Ireland