Friday, May 10, 2013

Sigh

Earlier this month, The Irish Times printed a letter from me which began:

Sir, – It is frustrating to see how the abortion debate is continually sidetracked by irrelevant questions, question-begging, and obfuscatory rhetoric. The rhetoric of “a woman’s right to choose” and “a woman’s control of her own body” obviously begs the question of whether there is a second person’s body and freedom at stake.


Today, there is a letter from a Peter Dunne of Clontarf that begins:

Sir, – Maolsheachlann O Ceallaigh’s assertion (May 3rd) that the abortion debate in Ireland has been “side-tracked by irrelevant questions” such as “a woman’s right to choose” raises an interesting point.

I don't think that's really a fair paraphrase of what I wrote. And it irks me to think that, at breakfast tables and in train carriages all over the nation this morning, Irish Times readers will attach to my (very distinctive) name the impression of a purple-faced, sputtering misogynist.

Oh well.

1 comment:

  1. Par for the course, M. It is the nature of thec disingenuous in modern debate, who are more interested in 'their side' winning than the truth, to misrepresent the position of one's opposition & then make yourself look good by demolishing what they never said.

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