Tuairisc ó Mheiriceá -An Deighilt Mhór

Report from America - The Great Divide

by | 2024/10/23 | Current Affairs, International News, Politics, Opinion

Report from America - The Great Divide

I watched the vice presidential debate between J.D. Vance (Republican) and Tim Walz (Democrat) at the end of September 2024. This debate was in stark contrast to the two presidential debates that preceded it, one between Trump and Biden and another between Trump and Harris. As the world knows, Biden had a bad day in the first presidential debate and had no defense against Trump, who told lie after lie. In the second presidential debate, Harris clearly won, but they were on the offensive one minute and then on the defensive the next, and the people of the country didn't hear much about the topics that mattered most to them. Their attention was more on their public image, and on making little of their opponent. But in the vice presidential debate, the candidates discussed important issues - including abortion, immigration and school shootings. Vance and Walz respected each other, even though they both attacked the others’s presidential candidate. The following are the highlights of the debate, in my opinion.

Health Care

Vance was asked why Trump only had a concept for a new health care plan. Would Vance be able to confirm that Americans would not pay more if they had any pre-existing health conditions. "In fact, they would have health insurance coverage if they had any pre-existing health conditions!" replied Vance. But Trump never declared what he would do in that situation. Vance also declined to discuss the details of Trump's plan, saying it would be boring to discuss a 900-page bill on the debate stage. He also said that Trump supported Obama's plan, the 'Affordable Care Act' (ACA). Walz said Trump promised in 2016 to repeal Obama's plan, and he almost succeeded except that Senator John McCain stood up for it.

Immigration

Vance went on the attack, blaming vice president Kamala Harris for the problems with illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border. He referred to her as 'Border czar'. Walz then criticized former president Trump, saying he blocked a bipartisan bill that would have tackled the same problems, and did it to gain an advantage in his presidential campaign.

Abortion

Vance was battling the odds on this issue and took a cautious approach here. Vance said it would be ideal if each State were able to put its own laws in place regarding abortion. Walz said it is a basic human right, so it is a federal duty to protect that right for everyone in the country, regardless of the country's layout. Vance acknowledged that the Republican Party needs to do a better job of providing fertility treatment and affordable housing. Vance is a smart man and he wanted to attract votes from the people who are currently undecided.

Gun Violence

Vance and Walz agreed that the situation is bad and getting worse when it comes to gun violence, especially in schools. They agreed that the problem needs to be tackled. But they did not agree on an approach to solve the problem. Vance admitted that there were many reasons behind the problem - and in particular mental health problems and drug abuse. Walz didn't agree with that. "Sometimes it's the guns, just the guns!" he said. And "Having a mental health problem doesn't mean you're a violent person."

January 6

It was clear that there was a big divide between Vance and Walz about what happened on January 6, 2021. When they were discussing the uprising and the false claims that Trump claimed to have won the presidential election, Walz asked Vance directly: "Did he (Trump) lose the 2020 election?" "Tim, I'm focused on the future", Vance replied. "That's a damning non-answer!" said Walz. Later, Walz said: “Here we are 4 years later, in the same situation. The winner must be the winner. This has to stop. It's tearing us apart."

Vance's change of heart

Vance was asked why he had a change of heart about Trump. He criticized Trump harshly in 2020 but is very much in favor of him now. Vance blamed the media, saying they misled him with lies about Trump. He said that Trump also made good on his promises to the people of the country as president.

Tiananmen Square

In 2009, Walz said he was in Hong Kong when the Tiananmen Square protests were taking place. But he was in Nebraska at the time. When asked about that, he waffled about it for a long time. When the question was put again, he finally admitted that he had made a mistake.

Conclusion

J.D. Vance is the master of smooth talk. Vance, without a doubt. J.D. Vance had the opportunities that Tim Walz didn't have. As Walz said: “I grew up in a small town – Butte, Nebraska, population 400 – and there were 24 students in my high school class. And not one of them attended Yale.” Walz was trying to say that he was a normal person, unlike Vance. Perhaps it was also a kind of excuse, because Vance was better on the debate stage. But does it matter? The central question is which presidential candidate should be chosen. And on that issue, it is clear that Trump is a danger to America and the world, and that it would be completely wrong to re-elect him as president.

Although J.D. Vance can dazzle people with his smooth speech, talk is cheap. Despite Vance's platitudes, there is no way it would be right to put the convicted criminal, Donald Trump, back in office. That was very clear, when Vance refused to answer the question posed by Walz: “Trump is still saying he didn't lose the election. Did he lose the 2020 election?”

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Tuairisc ó Mheiriceá – an Dara hIarracht Donald Trump a fheallmharú!

Report from America - the second attempt to assassinate Donald Trump!

by | 2024/10/02 | Current Affairs, International News, Opinion

Report from America - the second attempt to assassinate Donald Trump!

“Many forms of Government have been and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all the other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

–Winston Churchill

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Fragile System

Democracy is always under threat. From time to time, the majority of the people realized that that fragile system had failed and that they had no other choice but to turn to some other effective system, which could make a definite decision which could then be acted on, regardless of and without interference from anyone. Something like this happened, probably, between the two World Wars, when certain countries sided with a dictatorship system, because certain people and certain groups in those countries saw the need for such, to deal with social and political difficulties.

L’Etat c’est Moi !

It goes without saying that such a system was also in place in the Age of Sovereignty, when the King of France could declare that he was the State ... "l'Etat c'est moi." In such a situation, no one was allowed to interfere with the King's decision, as his power was based on the principle that those same Kings received their power from God himself, and therefore, it was the duty of the citizen to accept the King's statute, on the understanding that it was God's will. However, that came and went, and today, not many powerful kings are left in this world, and Democracy is the system of government that is familiar to everyone. That does not make the system without fault, or above criticism because, when the chips are down, it has to restrict the freedom of the citizens, and legislate disciplinary laws, to gain complete control over the population for the good of their community. Another weakness in democracy is that it gives every opportunity to criminals, and extremists of all kinds, to practice their anti-social crafts under the eyes of the State itself. It becomes very difficult for the system to deal with them, as the system has to function in accordance with the law, while all those others are allowed to function without the slightest regard for those laws. Those stresses are clearly visible in America right now.

Attempt to assassinate Trump

We've all heard the news about the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump. It is unbelievable that this is the second attempt to kill him within two months. Unfortunately, this is nothing new, and there have been many attempts to assassinate presidents and former presidents of the United States of America over the years. But why does this happen? There is no single reason. Sometimes, the assassin is not happy with his government and especially with the president. Other times, the killer is mentally ill and delusional. In any case, no politician should be killed, no matter the reason. No system would be able to function for long if that kind of failure was accepted, including Democracy.

Dangerous Times!

The democratic system is a fragile system, and the public has a duty to protect it at all times. They have to be involved and active. The public and their politicians need to resolve their differences peacefully, through negotiation and through the ballot boxes, instead of through violence. As we all know in Ireland, violence failed to solve any problem in Northern Ireland for 30 years (1968-1998). But after difficult negotiations between the two sides (loyalists and republicans), they decided to get rid of the guns, and use the ballot box instead. That peace process was successful with the as was the associated agreement - the Good Friday Agreement. Peace has prevailed in the North for the past 26 years and counting. Making a transition like that isn't easy, and it doesn't happen often. That's why things in America are so dangerous right now – violence against politicians increases the risks of things getting out of control.

Solutions?

What can be done to combat that problem in America? Undoubtedly, the secret service needs to be improved, and the government is currently working on that. While that is a good thing, the government is tilting at windmills if they don't tackle the root problem – assault weapons. It is estimated that there are up to 40 million of them in America right now, and there is nothing positive about that. Assault weapons (AR-15 for example) were banned from 1994 to 2004, but Congress refused to renew the ban then. Although the majority of the public is in favor of the ban, the legislation would not pass in the Senate at the moment because there would not be enough (60) senators for it. Perhaps it is time for all senators to put the country's interest before their own and do the right thing. And all politicians should also avoid making hateful statements and set a good example for their people.

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Tuairim ó Mheiriceá – Díospóireacht – Téic 2!

Opinion from America – Debate – Take 2!

by | 2024/09/18 | Current Affairs, International News, Opinion

Opinion from America – Debate – Take 2!

Introduction

I saw the first presidential debate this year, between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. I wrote an article about that disastrous debate, in which I wrote: "In my opinion, the best thing for Joe Biden to do now is to withdraw from the race immediately - but the risk is small."

A few things transpired after that, which were promising. First, Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race. At first, he insisted that he was the only person who could defeat Trump. But it was clear that others did not agree with that, even people in his own party - the Democrats, and especially Nancy Pelosi - the former Speaker of the House of Representatives. Nancy Pelosi's opinion has a lot of authority, especially in this case. She is slightly older than Biden at 82 years old, and also, she recently resigned from her own position as Speaker, saying she would not seek the role again, after two four year terms in office (2007-2011 and 2019-2023). Eventually, Biden conceded the truth of his situation and pulled out. Then, the second significant thing happened, and all the Democrats supported Kamala Harris as the presidential candidate without any contest. She chose Tim Walz as her vice-presidential running mate and they soon began a vigorous campaign. Their campaign raised $361 million in August, nearly three times more than Trump's ($130 million). The gap between them narrowed in the polls until they were neck and neck. And then after working out a few details, Trump and Harris agreed to have an hour and a half long presidential debate.

The Debate

There was no similarity between this debate and the last one. At the start of the debate, Harris looked over to Trump and shook his hand. In this way, she made an important point that she was not afraid of him, but the opposite. That signal paved the way for what was to happen up on stage in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Here are four conclusions I drew from the debate.

1 Trump Weaknesses

Harris clearly highlighted Trump's fundamental weaknesses, which Biden was unable to do in the first debate, including:

• Trump's criminal record. When Trump said that most immigrants coming into the country are criminals, Harris responded: “Isn't that rich. Coming from someone who has been prosecuted for national security crimes, economic crimes, illegal interference in elections, found guilty of sexual assault, and will be in court in November at his own criminal sentencing.”
• Trump's role in the January 6, 2021 attack. Trump said: "I had nothing to do with that other than they asked me to give a speech." Harris said: “To everyone watching, who remembers what happened on January 6, I say, We don't need to go back. Let's not go back. We are not going back. It's time to turn the page.”
• Seasamh Trump ar ghinmhilleadh. Dúirt Trump go bhfuil na Daonlathaithe ar son linbh nuabheirthe a mharú. Ach dúirt an modhnóir Davis nach raibh sé sin fíor. Nuair a d’iarr modhnóir ar Trump an síneodh sé cosc náisiúnta ar ghinmhilleadh, níor fhreagair sé an cheist. Chuir Harris brú air é a fhreagairt, ach dhiúltaigh sé arís.

2 Trump's lies

Trump told a whole bag of lies, and here are just a few examples:

• Tá na Daonlathaithe ar son linbh nuabheirthe a mharú.
• Democrats are giving votes to illegal immigrants.
• Undocumented foreigners are capturing towns, capturing buildings.
• In Springfield Ohio the immigrants are eating the cats and dogs.

3 A passionate case regarding abortion

Dúirt Harris go dtacaíonn sí le Roe v. Wade a athbhunú. “Tá sé maslach do mhná Mheiriceá. … Bíonn ar dhaoine oibre, mná oibre atá ag obair post nó dhó, a bhfuil orthu cúram leanaí a fháil gur ar éigean d’acmhainn dóibh, taisteal go stát eile ar eitleán, a bheith ina suí in aice le strainséirí, chun an cúram sláinte a theastaíonn uathu a fháil – ar éigean d’acmhainn dóibh. Agus tá sé neamhscrupallach iad a chur tríd sin.”

4 Príomhthéama Trump – Inimircigh gan doiciméad agus a gcoireanna

According to Republicans, the Democrats' immigration policies are their biggest weakness, and Trump has emphasized immigration matters as often as possible. Trump has told lie after lie on the subject, and I already mentioned one where he claimed immigrants were eating the pets in Springfied. Here are a few more examples of what he had to say about migration.

"They (Democrats) allowed criminals," Trump said, claiming without any evidence that there were "millions" of criminals. “They allowed terrorists. They allowed common street criminals. They allowed people to come in, drug dealers to come into our country.” Trump said at another point: “Bad immigration is the worst thing that could happen to our economy. They and she (Harris) are destroying our country with their policy. That's crazy.”

Conclusion

According to most analysts, Harris won the debate. I agree with that, but that does not mean that she will win the election. Hilary beat Trump in the three debates between them in 2016, according to the analysts and according to the public - but despite this, Trump won the presidential election. And while everyone knows about Trump and his approach, many people don't know much about Harris and the differences between Biden's policies and her own. Harris did a great job in the debate and that's a good step, but she still has a lot to do, and she doesn't have much time left to do it. As a positive ending, Taylor Swift posted her support for Harris to her followers (283 million) on Instagram, after the debate. That's not a bad thing!

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Bás Matthew Perry!

Death of Matthew Perry!

by | 2024/08/27 | Current Affairs, International News

Death of Matthew Perry!

 

From time to time, our attention is drawn to some tragedy involving drug or alcohol addiction. Recently, an investigation into the death of the famous actor Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing in the sitcom 'Friends' which aired from 1994-2004) came to an end. Perry released a memoir a year before his death, called 'Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing' which contained harrowing details of his struggle to overcome addiction. At the time, he said he had been drug-free for the past year and a half. Less than a year later, he was dead. At first, the coroner said his drowning in his hot tub was an accident, the result of a combination of drugs he had taken and heart disease. But a new inquiry was opened in May, 2024 to find out why there was so much of the drug ketamine (Ketamine in English) in his blood. Perry had been using ketamine infusion therapy for intensive treatment of depression and anxiety, but his last session was more than a week before his death.

The Doctor and the Ketamine Queen

Perry’s blood contained the same amount of ketamine as would be used in a general anaesthetic. Where did it come from? It was reported in the Los Angeles Times in June that investigators employed by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Postal Service successfully linked certain individuals to the supply of ketamine. It was an incredible story, and five people were charged in relation to Perry's death. When Perry asked his regular doctor to prescribe him more ketamine, he refused. Then Perry found another doctor who wouldn't have a problem with that- Doctor Salvador Plasencia. Prosecutors allege that Plasencia used Perry's desperation and addiction to get money. Another doctor, Dr. Mark Chavez, was helping Plasencia, and illegally getting him ketamine. They had no scruples, and Plasencia sent a text to Chavez, saying: "I wonder how much this moron will pay." There is no doubt that Plasencia and Chavez believed that Perry was a money bags. And they were right, about the money anyway. Perry paid $55,000 in cash for a dozen vials of ketamine in the last month of his life. But a vial of ketamine usually only costs $20! What kind of doctor sells drugs at an outrageous price to a patient with an addiction problem? What kind of doctor takes advantage of his own patient's disease? What kind of doctor is so selfish that he would kill his own patient? That person, in my opinion, is not a doctor, but a drug dealer who only cares about money.

Another criminal network was also at work, supplying Perry with drugs. A drug dealer and ketamine distributor named Jasveen Sangha, known as the 'Queen of Ketamine', was supplying Perry with ketamine through another drug dealer, Erik Fleming. Perry knew Fleming because before he became a drug dealer, Fleming was a film director in Hollywood. Fleming gave 50 vials of ketamine to Perry's personal assistant, a man named Kenneth Iwamasa. Iwamasa gave Perry ketamine injections every day – he gave him 27 injections in the five days leading up to Perry's death, and 3 injections on the day of his death. Iwamasa was not qualified to give Perry ketamine injections, but Placensia showed him how to do it. The five (Plasencia, Chavez, Sangha, Fleming and Iwamasa) were charged with various crimes related to the distribution of ketamine and Perry's death. Plasencia and Sangha pleaded not guilty, but Chavez, Fleming and Iwamasa pleaded guilty.

The five (Plasencia, Chavez, Sangha, Fleming and Iwamasa) were charged with various crimes related to the distribution of ketamine and Perry's death. Plasencia and Sangha pleaded not guilty, but Chavez, Fleming and Iwamasa pleaded guilty.

Sentences?

What is the fate of the five, in terms of sentences? In the case of those who pleaded guilty, Chavez could face up to 10 years in prison, Iwamasa up to 15 years and Fleming up to 25 years. In the case of Sangha and Plasencia, if convicted of all charges against them, it is more than likely that both of them will spend their lives in prison.

Conclusion

Ketamine is an addictive drug, used as an anesthetic and as a therapy for depression. It is a controlled substance and an illegal drug. Perry first got it as therapy, but then became addicted to ketamine. It was a terrible choice to give an addict an addictive drug like this, and Perry was known to the world to be an addict. Worse than that, instead of helping him, his doctor, friend and personal assistant took advantage of his illness, and eventually killed him. I hope that all five of those criminals spend a long time in prison for their heinous crimes. Maybe that will send a clear message to other criminals thinking of doing something like that.

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Tuairisc ó Mheiriceá-Casann an Taoide!

Report from America-The Tide Turns!

by | 2024/07/31 | Current Affairs, International News

Report from America-The Tide Turns!

Even a few days ago, things were not looking good in the United States of America (USA), if you are a Democrat. Before the debate between Trump and Biden on June 27, Biden was trailing in the polls by quite a bit. That debate stunned me, as I watched Biden struggle in every way. It was very clear to me that he could not control his thoughts at all, and he spouted rubbish more than a few times. It is a shame how terrible the debate was, with the candidates arguing about who is better at playing golf, when there are all kinds of problems to be solved in the country and in the world. After that poor showing, things took a turn for the worse for Biden in the polls. Even within his own party, his support had waned, and prominent Democrats had begun to say that it is time for Biden to consider whether it would be right for him to continue his bid for the presidency. The list of those people grew day by day. At first, Biden did not listen to them, saying that he would only listen to God.

Murder Attempt

Then there was an assassination attempt on Trump at a political rally. A bullet grazed Trump's ear, before the murder of the failed assassin by a secret service sniper. Trump seized that opportunity promptly and instinctively. Trump got back to his feet, bloodied but unbowed, a stream of blood on his face, his fist in the air, a US flag flying behind him. A photographer took a powerful photo of the horror, and with that Trump was given the status of a hero, a divine status. The experience of his near death gave renewed energy to the Trump campaign - reinforcing the public perception that he was a victim of the Democrats. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that iconic picture is worth more than hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign ads. At first, it was thought that the news would distract the public from Biden's difficulties. But the vociferous complaints continued and increased, urging Biden to drop his bid for the presidency. Then Biden contracted COVID, and had to self-isolate at home.

Change of Mind

Although he was ill, the pressure on Biden continued and he was in contact with people in the party whom he respected to discuss matters about his situation. He also had more time to discuss matters with his own family. Whatever the reason, Biden threw in the towel on July 21, and recommended Vice President Kamala Harris to fill his place. It was a very difficult thing for Biden to resign like that, but he did it for the good of his party and the good of the country - and not for his own good. What a contrast between Biden and Trump. Biden gave up his bid for the presidency when he didn't have to. Trump made every effort to remain president when he lost the presidential election. That's the difference between a democrat and an autocrat.

Kamala Harris

Most Democrats immediately gave their support to Harris. No other Democrat put his or her name in the running, either. Many donations were being made to Harris' campaigns after Biden pulled out. The Harris campaign probably raised more money in a 24-hour period than any other candidate in US history – around 100 million dollars! Therefore, it is clear that she has the support of the community. She has also received the support of the majority of delegates (2,688 out of almost 4,000 at the time of writing) in the party. and they choose which party will stand for the presidency. Therefore, it is almost certain that the Democrats will choose Harris to run for the presidency against Trump.

Is America ready?

Had Harris won, she would have been the first woman, the first woman of colour and the first person of South Asian descent to serve as president of the United States. There are many people on the right wing in the United States who are extremely conservative and would struggle with such changes. On the other hand, many people on the left wing want at least such changes. The people of the USA are completely divided politically, and that division is seen clearly and personally in their presidential choices - Trump and Harris. Trump and Harris are currently neck and neck in the polls. Harris has not yet named her vice presidential running mate, and that decision could have a major impact on the outcome of the election. The Republicans' plans are in disarray with Biden’s withdrawal and it will take time for them to come up with a new strategy. Therefore, the result cannot be predicted in any certain way yet. But this much can be said for sure – the Democrats will now have a much better chance of achieving many victories at all levels – the House of Representatives, the Senate and the Presidency – than when Biden was running for the presidency. Thanks to Biden's selflessness, the is a chance that we will move forward as a democracy in America, and win over the autocracy for another while!

Athbheochan na hÚcráinise!

Revival of the Ukrainian Language!

by | 2024/07/17 | Current Affairs, Language Affairs, International News, Politics, History

Revival of the Ukrainian Language!

 

Ukraine gained its independence in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. At the time, the revival of Ukrainian, the country's native language, was promised. It is a miracle that it was still alive, as the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union did so much damage to the Ukrainian people, culture and language over the centuries. Another miracle is underway in Ukraine right now, regarding the revival of Ukrainian. Before I reveal that miracle, it is worth writing a few words about how difficult it was for the Ukrainians to preserve their culture and language through the unique crises that happened to them over the years. With that knowledge, we will have a deeper understanding of the miracle itself.

Shortly after she came to power in 1762, the Russian Empress Catherine II banned the teaching of Ukrainian at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the most important cultural center in Ukraine at the time. Later on, she gave orders to the churches to conduct church services only in Russian and to the schools to have Russian as a compulsory subject.

In the 19th century, the Russian Empire repeatedly persecuted the Ukrainian culture and especially the Ukrainian language, fearing that it would be a great threat to the unity of the Empire. In 1804 Ukrainian was banned as a subject and language of instruction in schools.

But even more severe measures followed in 1863 when the Imperial Minister of Home Affairs Pyotr Valuev issued a manifesto to end the publication of books in Ukrainian. According to the manifesto, "'Little Russian' (meaning Ukrainian) has never existed and will never exist."

In 1922, shortly after the Russian Revolution, Ukraine was absorbed into the Soviet Union, where new policies were implemented, known as 'Ukrainization'. It was a complete change and there was no longer any ban on the use of Ukrainian.

The 'Ukrainization' was short-lived, however, as the dictator Joseph Stalin canceled it in 1933. Worse than that, a good number of Ukrainian intellectuals, including famous writers and artists, were killed in the 'Great Purge' in 1937. After Stalin's death in 1953, a cultural revival flourished and in addition, a new generation of writers and artists emerged.

When Ukraine gained its independence in 1991, the government pledged to support culture and language. But the negative influence of Russia on the Ukrainian language was still visible in the new country and long after that, Ukrainian television, its newspapers, and even the names of its streets were still mostly in Russian. It wasn't time yet.

With the EuroMaidan Revolution in 2013-2014, a pro-Kremlin regime was ousted and replaced by a pro-Ukraine regime. Vladimir Putin did not accept that, and Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Soon after, Russia invaded eastern Ukraine, seizing parts of the self-governing regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Strict restrictions were placed on the use of Ukrainian in those occupied territories as part of the occupation.

Finally in 2019, the Language Act was passed in Ukraine, which established Ukrainian as the country's official language, forcing the media, the education system and public bodies to use the language publicly.

Then, in the year 2022, Putin's forces brutally attacked Ukraine, and although Putin thought he would win within a few days, the war is still ongoing two and a half years after the attacks. With Russian imperialism in full swing, the Ukrainian revival took off. The people of the country were single-mindedly committed to speaking their native language, regardless of their ability in the language. It was then that the miracle happened and the facts tell the story. Eight months after the attack, 71% of the country's population said they were speaking Ukrainian more, and 33% of Kyiv residents switched from Russian to Ukrainian as their spoken language.

From April 2023, anyone trying to become a citizen needs to pass Ukrainian exams (written exam and oral exam). "We are going through the rebirth of the language. We're just discovering what we've always had,” said Volodymyr Dibrova, a writer and translator who teaches Ukrainian at Harvard. Neither religion nor territory, but language, said Dibrova, is the factor that most significantly distinguishes them from their enemy. "It is as if the people of the country have woken up and are asking themselves: Who are we? What is our real history? What is our real language? If Ukrainian is our real language, why don't we speak it all the time? Why don't we speak Ukrainian as the language of our relationships and at all events - both formal and informal?" The answers were very clear to the people of the country, and they understood well that their language is a key part of their identity as a community and as a nation. That's why they started learning or re-learning it and speaking it as much as they could. They realized that their culture and especially their language was intertwined with their national identity. And they went into the breach and stood up for that same identity!

I highly recommend everything that the people of Ukraine are doing regarding their language, despite the fierce war that is going on. It also raises a few questions for us, regarding our culture and our language. Who are we? What is our real history? What is our real language? If Irish is our real language, why don't we speak it all the time? Why don't we speak Irish as the language of our relationships and at all events – both formal and informal? And finally the most important question for us to answer – what needs to happen to us so that we wake up from our stupor before it is too late and save our language – short of war?

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