Bertie Ahern rejoins Fianna Fail

I think you know I wanted the poster to include a link when absolutely stating numbers as facts . Otherwise you are arguing against unverifiable statements and subjective opinions which is not possible .

My beliefs are that people should be given the benefit of the doubt without prejudice if they are coming from a country that our government considers not safe .

If they get involved in criminality or it becomes known while being processed that they have criminal links a criminal record , or are involved in criminality in Ireland then a decision needs to be made about not admitting that person or deporting them .

We are or should not be obliged to take other countries' criminals even for asylum .

However the difficulty is knowing who is or who is not until they are already here .

If the government of the day decide the risk is too great importing people from a country of high criminality then it is up to them to prohibit that country .

There is a similar issue in Europe with Roma , Albanians and Georgians and high levels of criminality and organized crime .

With exception one cannot say that every. single .person from those groups should be tarred with the same brush though . Yo do so would be racist

But if the government decides that those seeking asylum from those country are too risky to admit then it becomes a matter of policy which can be legitimately questioned or supported before it comes into law.

What Bertie said about Congolese was similar to.the All Irish are Bombers attitude that was the narrative in the 80s in UK and came from the top down. .

It's not too nice living and working in a country where the politicians in government as well as many on the street have that attitude . In the area I worked I was amongst polite educated and multiethnic people do did not have any issues. But my partner and others I know did regularly have to field nasty comments and aspersions .

With good reason I might add , people were upset about IRA bombing pubs and apartments , but it was still unfair on all the people who were never involved nor agreed nor supported a bombing campaign in the UK or anywhere for that matter to be tarred with that moniker .

It's the same thing imo.

Politicians or those with political influence have a duty to be fair and reasonable.

Bertie's remarks were unfair unreasonable and racist generalised statements .

He may not be a racist but what he said was .

Imagine that this absolute charlatan felt he had the characteristics to be president.

I have always wondered why many Irish people refuse to admit they are racist. I mean we all know there are many racists around but they are allergic to the word being used to describe them. It would be easier to just own it. If you don't like coloured people, then that is an inner feeling you have and should be able to accept it and call it out as a feeling/opinion. They have every right to be racist. The way people go on you would imagine that they are no racists in Ireland. They get so angry with the label. I think in USA, they would admit it much more readily.

Nothing to do with my post. Absolutely nothing. I was responding to the valid "behind closed doors" comment. Read it again slowly and pretend I am not talking about Bertie. The minority report reference was pure daft.