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

QuinDixie · 25-10-2015 01:12PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:13PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:16PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:17PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:19PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:20PM

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

Boring username · 25-10-2015 01:21PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:23PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:25PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:27PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:29PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:35PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:38PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:40PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:41PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:43PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:44PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:50PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:52PM

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 · 25-10-2015 01:54PM

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.

Ghost Buster · 25-10-2015 01:58PM

Eugene Norman wrote: »

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.

The last time i checked travellers have exactly the same right as every other member of the state. They just seem to want a few more.

tomwaterford · 25-10-2015 02:00PM

Ghost Buster wrote: »

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

In fairness a lot of thing written/posted at the time about travellers was pure utter bigotry and horrible

Tarzana2 · 25-10-2015 02:00PM

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

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?

Most people wouldn't have anyone, settled or traveller, staying in their own home. People like to have their own haven and space would be an issue. So it's a silly question to ask and different to them being placed in an empty house.

SEPT 23 1989 · 25-10-2015 02:01PM

An insult to the civil rights movement in the US to be put in the same sentence as the the word traveller

Azalea · 25-10-2015 02:03PM

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

It really really isn't. What an insult to those who suffered under segregation in the Deep South.

Travellers have plenty of state supports and concessions made to them on ethnic minority grounds. Black people in the US had nothing pre civil rights.

Angry middle-class preachy types like Una Mullally who do no work with travellers haven't a clue.

Ghost Buster · 25-10-2015 02:08PM

tomwaterford wrote: »

In fairness a lot of thing written/posted at the time about travellers was pure utter bigotry and horrible

But this isnt about one instance in time. This is years and years of antisocial behaviour, well documented anti social behaviour which has lead to the carrickmines stand off

LDN_Irish · 25-10-2015 02:13PM

Ghost Buster wrote: »

But this isnt about one instance in time. This is years and years of antisocial behaviour, well documented anti social behaviour which has lead to the carrickmines stand off

This is a genuine question that I don't know the answer to. Have the travellers who lost their family members in Carrickmines actually done anything wrong? Are they antisocial people who are persecuting settled people as some in this thread are accusing travellers of doing? Or is this standoff simply because the protesting residents don't want any travellers housed near them because of what other travellers have done or continue to do?

tomwaterford · 25-10-2015 02:15PM

Ghost Buster wrote: »

But this isnt about one instance in time. This is years and years of antisocial behaviour, well documented anti social behaviour which has lead to the carrickmines stand off

This still deosnt make it right what was said/posted about travellers??

If them residents didn't own the place I can't see why they can object/stop to the council over what they put in there??

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 25-10-2015 02:15PM

Ghost Buster wrote: »

But this isnt about one instance in time. This is years and years of antisocial behaviour, well documented anti social behaviour which has lead to the carrickmines stand off

You know there have been years of anti-social behaviour in an estate near here. People in the area are plagued by break-ins, vandalism etc. Not a week goes by without some of them appearing in court or newspaper reports of more criminal activity from them. The offenders are all settled people. Thus, are all us settled people to be tarred with this brush?

cajonlardo · 25-10-2015 02:17PM

Rayna Fit Quotation wrote: »

You know there have been years of anti-social behaviour in an estate near here. People in the area are plagued by break-ins, vandalism etc. Not a week goes by without some of them appearing in court or newspaper reports of more criminal activity from them. The offenders are all settled people. Thus, are all us settled people to be tarred with this brush?

The thread is about locals being compared to murderous bigots in '50's Alabama.
Not having a go - but what has one got to do with the other?

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

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