A big Congratulations to Catherine Connolly on being elected The President of Ireland Uachtarán na hÉireann what an achievement, I’m sure she will be a President we can all be very proud of.
Looking back on the election campaign I often wonder do people fully appreciate the amount of hard work, the long long hours and the dedication required when seeking public office, not to mention the unprecedented levels of scrutiny a candidate and their family are subject to. It says something about the calibre of the candidate that they are willing to put themselves through such an ordeal. We have been very lucky in this regard insofar as people of substance are still willing to put themselves forward despite the increasing levels of hostility coming their way.
While we all agree politicians must be held accountable it does not entitle individuals to hurl abuse and bombard social media with unfounded accusations that can be massively damaging to people. It is a sad fact that these so called keyboard warriors who are often well orchestrated can and feature prominently in the electoral process and rarely face repercussions.
The threat that the misuse of social media poses and the power brokers who control it should be a wakeup call to all of us who value democracy. As individuals who value freedom we have to be aware that our freedom can be eroded so quickly. What’s going on internally in The USA at the present time unfortunately does not inspire confidence and who is to say it could not happen here. It is very easy to manipulate and if you control the communication tools you are in the driving seat. You have to wonder would Brexit have happened without the influence and inaccuracies of social media.
Would Donald Trump have become President without Elon Musk’s X (Twitter) influence. All these things have major world implications, you only have to look at what’s happened in Gaza, Netanyahu’s Israel without Trump’s financial support would never have been able to commit genocide there, and Putin would not have felt embolden to invade Ukraine had not the UK left the EU. So while it may be comfortable to sit at home and carry on regardless, things happen than can affect you and if you are blissfully unaware and unconcerned do not be surprised when they do.
On a happy note I was delighted to be invited to a reception by the residents of Oliver Bond Flats in Dublin to join in the Celebrations for local Hero Dionne Lyons who was a member of the Irish team that competed at the Homeless World cup in Oslo Norway, in August. It was a brilliant morning, full of positivity and inspiration. It is at grassroots level that change happens and at communities such as Oliver Bond you can see at first-hand how communities can work together to support each other, this is the type of positive activity that builds strong and vibrant communities.
Until next month,
Sean
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