Should Aodhan O Riordan resign for his "1950's Alabama" slur on residents?

Boring username

Equality Minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has criticised people protesting against emergency accommodation for Traveller families caught up in the Carrickmines blaze, saying their views “remind me of Alabama in the 1950s”.

The Labour TD for Dublin North-Central made the remark amid an ongoing standoff between residents of Rockville Drive in Dublin and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/protest-over-traveller-site-like-alabama-in-the-1950s-360073.html

An extraordinary, grotesque, and appalling slur by 'equality' Minister Aodhan O Riordan on law abiding citizens of Carrickmines who were exercising their democratic right to protest, and who subsequently were proved correct and vindicated by the decision of the council to move the halting site elsewhere. I hope they are taking serious legal advice on this defamation of character.

Not only has he smeared the residents of Carrickmines, he has implied that you, me, and the Irish public are the moral equivalent of the horrendous lynch mobs and KKK hate merchants that murdered, beat, and bullied the black community in the Deep South. Really, Minister? Really? Is that really your thought process? This sort of pathetic teen angst style dramatics is best left to tumblr.

It is extraodrinary that an elected Minister could come out with such inflammatory, dangerous, and borderline hate speech that could have seriously resulted in violence and civil disruption. In fact, one poster here suggested using the ERU and actual shootings to clear the residents blockade. Actually. wanted. residents. Shot.
As I said, a defective mind best left to browsing tumblr, not in a paid Ministerial position.

The man has been an embarrassment for quite some time now, and it is clear that he has a major agenda and sees himself as a crusading social justice warrior. He left himself looking very foolish and unprofessional when he tweeted expletives on the day of the same sex marriage referendum. Not the type of behaviour we expect from elected officials:

https://twitter.com/aodhanoriordain/status/602056053270913026

I put it to you that the Minister's position is no longer tenable, and he should apologise and resign with immediate effect, as he has demonstrated that he is not capable of logical thinking, but instead has a defective knee jerk emotional response.

You had our support for the marriage referendum Minister, but any goodwill you created has been utterly destroyed now. You have spat in our faces and insulted the Irish public in a way that cannot be repaired now.

Your time is up, O Riordan. Go before you are pushed.

Sheep Lover

He wasn't far wrong, the persecution of travellers in this country is akin to the treatment of blacks in the Deep South in the 50's and 60's

tomwaterford

Is he not right in calling out people for racism/bigotry againest travellers though??

Nodin

Boring username wrote: »

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/protest-over-traveller-site-like-alabama-in-the-1950s-360073.html

An extraordinary, grotesque, some time now, and it is clear that he has a major agenda and sees himself as a crusading social justice warrior. He left himself looking very foolish and unprofessional when he tweeted expletives on the day of the same sex marriage referendum. Not the type of behaviour we expect from elected officials:

https://twitter.com/aodhanoriordain/status/602056053270913026

I put it to you that the Minister's position is no longer tenable, and he should apologise .

O Noes!!!! Won't somebody think of the something or other........

Boring username

Sheep Lover wrote: »

He wasn't far wrong, the persecution of travellers in this country is akin to the treatment of blacks in the Deep South in the 50's and 60's

Give me one example, just one please, of travellers being lynched or used for slavery. I'll wait.

Or would it be that you are just talking out of your hole?

Sheep Lover

Boring username wrote: »

Give me one example, just one please, of travellers being lynched or used for slavery. I'll wait.

Or would it be that you are just talking out of your hole?

Travellers are treated as second class citizens in this country, of that there is no question.

biko

I disagree with you, and you have no sources for your claims.

Boring username

Sheep Lover wrote: »

Travellers are treated as second class citizens in this country, of that there is no question.

Good example, fair point, well made. The references were the icing on the cake there.

The Moldy Gowl

Looks like you have more of an agenda than he does.
Oh no, a tweet with a curse word from an elected official. Heaven forbid.
Get the **** over it.

Poulgorm

Some travellers treat us as second class citizens

steddyeddy

Aodhan's a rare breed of very intelligent politician. He was the principle of a school in Sheriff St when I had dealings with him. Really fights for disadvantaged kids in education and usually bang on the button.

I don't think he's far off with the statement. Maybe a sweeping generalisation but having met one of the residents who was involved in this he's not far off.

Banjoxed

Boring username wrote: »

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/protest-over-traveller-site-like-alabama-in-the-1950s-360073.html

An extraordinary, grotesque, and appalling slur by 'equality' Minister Aodhan O Riordan on law abiding citizens of Carrickmines who were exercising their democratic right to protest, and who subsequently were proved correct and vindicated by the decision of the council to move the halting site elsewhere. I hope they are taking serious legal advice on this defamation of character.

Not only has he smeared the residents of Carrickmines, he has implied that you, me, and the Irish public are the moral equivalent of the horrendous lynch mobs and KKK hate merchants that murdered, beat, and bullied the black community in the Deep South. Really, Minister? Really? Is that really your thought process? This sort of pathetic teen angst style dramatics is best left to tumblr.

It is extraodrinary that an elected Minister could come out with such inflammatory, dangerous, and borderline hate speech that could have seriously resulted in violence and civil disruption. In fact, one poster here suggested using the ERU and actual shootings to clear the residents blockade. Actually. wanted. residents. Shot.
As I said, a defective mind best left to browsing tumblr, not in a paid Ministerial position.

The man has been an embarrassment for quite some time now, and it is clear that he has a major agenda and sees himself as a crusading social justice warrior. He left himself looking very foolish and unprofessional when he tweeted expletives on the day of the same sex marriage referendum. Not the type of behaviour we expect from elected officials:

https://twitter.com/aodhanoriordain/status/602056053270913026

I put it to you that the Minister's position is no longer tenable, and he should apologise and resign with immediate effect, as he has demonstrated that he is not capable of logical thinking, but instead has a defective knee jerk emotional response.

You had our support for the marriage referendum Minister, but any goodwill you created has been utterly destroyed now. You have spat in our faces and insulted the Irish public in a way that cannot be repaired now.

Your time is up, O Riordan. Go before you are pushed.

That cap fits you nicely, sor.

QuinDixie

typical middle class social justice warrior, if hes so worried about travellers,
he can set up a camp for them beside his own house.

Sheep Lover

Boring username wrote: »

Good example, fair point, well made. The references were the icing on the cake there.

I'm afraid any debate on this with you will be dragged down due to your obvious prejudices against the travelling community.

Guy:Incognito

Boring username wrote: »

and who subsequently were proved correct and vindicated by the decision of the council to move the halting site elsewhere..

Taking the path of least resistance doesn't prove anything correct.


Also "democratic right to protest" doesn't allow you to do whatever the **** you please and declare it your right. Your right to peaceful protest allows you to stand the **** aside with your placard and voice your concerns, why does your right to protest supercede someone elses right to do what theyre doing?

The Moldy Gowl

Why do you need to say law abiding citizens in carrick mines?

What if one of them has a conviction for something? Or regularly break a law.
What if they don't recycle, the monsters.

tomwaterford

Boring username wrote: »

Good example, fair point, well made. The references were the icing on the cake there.

Are you even from ireland??

QuinDixie

Boring username wrote: »

Give me one example, just one please, of travellers being lynched or used for slavery. I'll wait.

Or would it be that you are just talking out of your hole?

there is none, but there is examples of travellers keeping slaves.

radharc

The poll options are hilarious. Where is the option for "No, I fully endorse his statement"?

eviltwin

Sheep Lover wrote: »

Travellers are treated as second class citizens in this country, of that there is no question.

Certainly true that they are often treated unfairly but a lot of their issues are self inflicted.

Ash.J.Williams

Posts about travellers....uses tweet about Mar ref....I think the op May have other reasons to dislike aodain

Boring username

Sheep Lover wrote: »

I'm afraid any debate on this with you will be dragged down due to your obvious prejudices against the travelling community.

Maybe you should see my thread with Traveller Girl and come back to me. I was the one who defended her and insisted everyone listen to her opinion. So fail on the smear tactics there laddie.

Dirty Dingus McGee

To all those people who are complaining about the residents in Carrickmines protesting I have one question.

Why don't you offer temporary accommodation to the affected people in your home area?

Dyr

Sheep Lover wrote: »

Travellers are treated as second class citizens in this country, of that there is no question.

It's awful, we dont even let them pay tax

arayess

Aodhan O Riordan is full of PC dogma . He hates anything that stands in the way of his view of utopia.
He was shot down by his own party before for proposing that senior civil servants need to declare their religious affiliations.
He is so full of hate himself he doesn't see the irony in calling out others he perceives to stand in the way of him and the other PC overlords.

he also wasted Garda time by taking it upon himself to make a complaint against the former mayor in Naas who said some ill advised rubbish about west Africans.
Personally i'd prefer the gardai to be chasing criminals rather than some local Boss Hogg character who mangled his words to break the PC code.

now he is giving out that residents are voicing concerns about changes to their locale. WTF is this guy on?

he is all about middle-class liberal sensibilities rather than real issues that we need members of the Dail to be concerned about.
The stereotypical champagne socialist.
useless waster.

QuinDixie

steddyeddy wrote: »

Aodhan's a rare breed of very intelligent politician. He was the principle of a school in Sheriff St when I had dealings with him. Really fights for disadvantaged kids in education and usually bang on the button.

I don't think he's far off with the statement. Maybe a sweeping generalisation but having met one of the residents who was involved in this he's not far off.

he cares so much he left to become a politician, where can he help the disadvantaged even less.

Fleawuss

Mr O'Riordain fought for and with others won my status as an equal citizen of this country. He is a principled and courageous man and while everyone can see that there are serious anti social problems within elements of the Traveller community and the state has been cowardly in targeting that, I believe that the only hope for the future development of our society is that we have people like Aodhain prepared to put their head over the parapet. I won't always agree with him but I will acknowledge his leadership and his contribution.

pauliebdub

He shouldn't bother resigning, he'll be gone in a couple of months after the election.

Sheep Lover

Boring username wrote: »

Maybe you should see my thread with Traveller Girl and come back to me. I was the one who defended her and insisted everyone listen to her opinion. So fail on the smear tactics there laddie.

I'm really not interested in what you may or may not have posted in the past. From your OP it's clear where your opinions lie.

Asking for a Minister to stand down because he cursed and compared one hateful protest to another? Really?

steddyeddy

QuinDixie wrote: »

he cares so much he left to become a politician, where can he help the disadvantaged even less.

Actually he worked in Sheriff st school for years and even stayed there when he became a politician. He deals with parents and kids there to this day. In other words he puts his money where his mouth is.

sonny.knowles

Boring username wrote: »

Give me one example, just one please, of travellers being lynched or used for slavery. I'll wait.

Or would it be that you are just talking out of your hole?

Sure didn't the travellers themselves have their own slave labour over in England a few years back.

QuinDixie

Fleawuss wrote: »

Mr O'Riordain fought for and with others won my status as an equal citizen of this country. He is a principled and courageous man and while everyone can see that there are serious anti social problems within elements of the Traveller community and the state has been cowardly in targeting that, I believe that the only hope for the future development of our society is that we have people like Aodhain prepared to put their head over the parapet. I won't always agree with him but I will acknowledge his leadership and his contribution.

same could be said about everyone who endorsed a yes or a no vote,
if anything calling for a no vote showed more courage.

arayess

Fleawuss wrote: »

Mr O'Riordain fought for and with others won my status as an equal citizen of this country. He is a principled and courageous man and while everyone can see that there are serious anti social problems within elements of the Traveller community and the state has been cowardly in targeting that, I believe that the only hope for the future development of our society is that we have people like Aodhain prepared to put their head over the parapet. I won't always agree with him but I will acknowledge his leadership and his contribution.

oh wow! he wanted gay marriage...isn't he wonderful :rolleyes:, let's forget about all the other rubbish and stunts he has pulled.

gay marriage is wonderful but it's not a barometer of much more than gay marriage.
South Africa has had gay marriage for years , I was at a gay wedding there over 10 years ago and it's still a place of corruption and inequality this day.

so what is your point?

wyndham

Boring username wrote: »

You had our support for the marriage referendum Minister, but any goodwill you created has been utterly destroyed now. You have spat in our faces and insulted the Irish public in a way that cannot be repaired now.

Spat in the the faces of the Irish public? Hysteric much?

Boring username

Sheep Lover wrote: »

I'm really not interested in what you may or may not have posted in the past. From your OP it's clear where your opinions lie.

Asking for a Minister to stand down because he cursed and compared one hateful protest to another? Really?

Thinly veiled 'I have no examples of travellers being lynched in Ireland' excuse. I accept you apology. You were wrong, and that's ok.

tomwaterford

Boring username wrote: »

Thinly veiled 'I have no examples of travellers being lynched in Ireland' excuse. I accept you apology. You were wrong, and that's ok.

:pac: :pac:
God I love bank holidays

sonny.knowles

I wonder what would have happened if a black had mooned and exposed their genitals in a court in 50's Alabama...

Boring username

Fleawuss wrote: »

Mr O'Riordain fought for and with others won my status as an equal citizen of this country. He is a principled and courageous man and while everyone can see that there are serious anti social problems within elements of the Traveller community and the state has been cowardly in targeting that, I believe that the only hope for the future development of our society is that we have people like Aodhain prepared to put their head over the parapet. I won't always agree with him but I will acknowledge his leadership and his contribution.

"Bertie Ahern presided over the greatest period of economic growth in Irish history, therefore his legacy is beyond question and I will fanatically support his leadership without question."

See, that's not a very sensible position is it? You can support a politicians previous successes, but their failures must be acknowledged too.
And O Riordan has got it badly wrong here.

Sheep Lover

Boring username wrote: »

Thinly veiled 'I have no examples of travellers being lynched in Ireland' excuse. I accept you apology. You were wrong, and that's ok.

Thanks for clearing that up. Must be wonderful to be so sure of your opinion that you are blind to what is so clear to all else. As I said earlier, debating with you would end up being dragged down to your level of low brain slagging match. Which it unfortunately has.

Eugene Norman

Difference between the treatment of travellers and black americans in 1950

Not a race
No history of slavery
No history of lynching or other extrajudicial punishments
No judicial acceptance of state enforced separation
No real evidence of racism in the majority population. ( speaking as a father of brown children there is plenty of it in the traveller population).



It's true that some people don't want to live besides travellers. For reasons of their dislike of the statistically significant anti social behaviour. It's also true that not wanting to live beside people is how the housing market works, it's why the great and good pay millions or hundreds of thousands more than they need to, to live in the south and east of the solid working class areas – places with no social problems except lack of poshness or status.

It's also true that the halting sites seem to be distributed far away from these posh areas. Make of that what you will.

Eugene Norman

Sheep Lover wrote: »

Thanks for clearing that up. Must be wonderful to be so sure of your opinion that you are blind to what is so clear to all else. As I said earlier, debating with you would end up being dragged down to your level of low brain slagging match. Which it unfortunately has.

This "argument" starts with presuming the conclusion and ends up with a personal attack. Well done.

Dr.Internet

steddyeddy wrote: »

Aodhan's a rare breed of very intelligent politician. He was the principle of a school in Sheriff St when I had dealings with him. Really fights for disadvantaged kids in education and usually bang on the button.

I don't think he's far off with the statement. Maybe a sweeping generalisation but having met one of the residents who was involved in this he's not far off.

A teacher politician! How are they a rare breed?

Politics is full of teachers who couldn't hack it in the classroom

Nodin

sonny.knowles wrote: »

Sure didn't the travellers themselves have their own slave labour over in England a few years back.

You were never an entertainer sonny.

QuinDixie

steddyeddy wrote: »

Actually he worked in Sheriff st school for years and even stayed there when he became a politician. He deals with parents and kids there to this day. In other words he puts his money where his mouth is.

lets be clear here.
you are saying he still works in that school and is a politician too.
you are correct about one thing so, he is putting money somewhere.

sonny.knowles

Nodin wrote: »

You were never an entertainer sonny.

Nice deflection Nodin.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/icrime/travellers-convicted-on-slavery-charges-200441.html

Boring username

wyndham wrote: »

Spat in the the faces of the Irish public? Hysteric much?

You think comparing the worst excesses of murder and lynchings by the KKK is even remotely the same as residents exercising their democratic right to protest? Really? He is accusing everyone who didn't blindly support the bulldozer politics of the council as being equal to the KKK. A dangerous and misguided tactic.

Look, I get that you don't like my opinions, and that's fair enough. But smearing the Irish public with the 1950s Alabama label is comical in its misjudgement, and O Riordan is being called out on it.

cajonlardo

There are an awful lot of people, including the good minister, who need to do a bit of reading about 1950's Alabama.

They might also want to consider the differences between how Blacks lived back then and how they were treated.

Maybe then they could come back here and post examples of Traveller only Water fonts, Train Platforms and bus seats, School Classes, Restaurants and Bars....

And finally, please post examples of how many Travellers have been tied to trees and had tyres around their necks and set on fire.

( P.S was yer man really a teacher? FFS !!!!)

Nodin

Boring username wrote: »

You think comparing the worst excesses of murder and lynchings by the KKK is even remotely the same as residents exercising their democratic right to protest? Really? He is accusing everyone who didn't blindly support the bulldozer politics of the council as being equal to the KKK. A dangerous and misguided tactic.

Look, I get that you don't like my opinions, and that's fair enough. But smearing the Irish public with the 1950s Alabama label is comical in its misjudgement, and O Riordan is being called out on it.

Where did he smear the Irish public? Hmmmm?

steddyeddy

Dr.Internet wrote: »

A teacher politician! How are they a rare breed?

Politics is full of teachers who couldn't hack it in the classroom

Actually he was a principle that put his students first. He helped many people from one of the most disadvantaged estates in Dublin rise out of poverty through education and trades. A living legend.

Ghost Buster

Sheep Lover wrote: »

He wasn't far wrong, the persecution of travellers in this country is akin to the treatment of blacks in the Deep South in the 50's and 60's

Bull ****. Honestly. Im so sick of the thousands of first hand examples of ordinary people, trying to go about their lives being ****ed over by travellers being dismissed out of hand and the victims of these instances being further screwed over by being labelled biggots.
There is a problem in the travelling community which they them selves need address before they can start claiming victimisation.
An interesting challenge would be to find a two week period with no TV, Radio or print media covering a story or dozen of this tiny tiny minority being involved in some criminal activity impacting the lives of ordinary people.

I call bull**** on this and counter claim that travellers persecute the majority.


....... phew....feel better now.......:mad:

Ghost Buster

tomwaterford wrote: »

Is he not right in calling out people for racism/bigotry againest travellers though??

How about he reads up on the reasons, very very genuine and well documented reasons why people dont want halting sites near them.