Who then can run for President?
As the Rats jump from what appears to be the sinking ship of Senator Norris’s president campaign, we must ask, Who then can run for Public office?
It is now public knowledge that Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams TD concealed the rape of his niece for 10 years and only made a statement to the authorities through his solicitor in 2007 when he was force to do so, when it was clear that Gerry’s niece would no longer be silenced. Did these revelations about the concealment of child rape ban Gerry Adams from running for public office, did these revelations see a frenzied tabloid campaign against Gerry Adams as he ran for our national parliament, the simple answer is no, and he topped the poll in Louth. Do these revelations mean that Sinn Fein cannot put forward a candidate for President of Ireland?
It is now public knowledge that Fianna Fail done a secret deal with religious child rapists that has left the Irish people with a 1Billion bill to pay compensation to the victims of religious child rape, does this mean that Fianna Fail cannot put forward a candidate for president of Ireland.
The list is endless and begs the age old question, who is going to throw the first stone? Will it be the tabloid press that makes its living from exploiting men, women and children by way of their advertised perverted sex chat lines, pornography or unnecessary lurid and voyeuristic detail of sex crime? Will it be the broad sheets that have remained relatively silent about Tom Humphries and other exposed journophiles.
As three independent TDs have withdrawn their support for presidential hopeful David Norris, we must ask who they will now support.
Deputy Finian McGrath announced yesterday evening that he was bowing out of Senator Norris' campaign but said he deeply regretted the decision; Finian Mc Grath who has often campaigned for the oppressed seems willing to join the mob.
It follows reports revealing the Senator wrote to Israeli authorities in 1997 appealing for clemency for his former partner who'd been convicted of statutory rape. How many letters of clemency were sent to the courts in Ireland by those who would now condemned David Norris for being loyal to a friend? So it was OK for Dermot Ahern to make representations for the leader of the Real IRA, but now for David Norris to make representations on behalf of his friend and former partner.
Independent TDs John Halligan and Thomas Pringle followed suit in withdrawing their support late last night, often Rats run in packs.
Deputy McGrath called on Senator Norris to bow out of the presidential race altogether, one imagines in order to justify Deputy Mc Grath’s own cowardice.
"At this stage I think the wise thing to do for David would be to withdraw from the campaign and reflect on the whole situation," he said.
"We cannot have a situation where any tolerance of abuse of children is (in) any way overlooked."
Perhaps Deputy Mc Grath should look a little closer at those with whom he interacts in the Dail, particularly Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail members.
