At a ceremony commemorating Michael Collins’s death, Taoiseach Simon Harris has attacked attempts to silence elected officials by means of violence and intimidation, reports Breaking News.
According to Mr. Harris, Ireland was going through a difficult period when the Irish revolutionary died 102 years ago while serving as finance minister.
Irish values, according to him, are “gifts to the world, if we have the courage to live by them ourselves,” and are informed by the lessons acquired during that period.
Mr. Collins’s grandniece Fidelma Collins was present at the memorial service on Sunday in west Cork, reports Breaking News.
On August 22, 1922, during the Civil War, Mr. Collins was shot and murdered during an ambush by anti-Treaty troops at Béal na Bláth in County Cork.
The treaty’s requirements for division and an oath of allegiance to the British king were strongly opposed, which sparked a civil war.
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According to Mr. Harris, Ireland has learnt from its past by supporting self-determination in Ukraine, diplomacy in the Middle East, and bettering circumstances in nations experiencing starvation and civil conflicts, reports Breaking News.
Mr. Harris denounced threatening and abusive conduct towards politicians while highlighting the value of democracy.
He criticised the “separate worlds” that exist on social media, claiming that “hate and violence” are becoming “common responses to difficult decisions.”
“These are the values that Ireland brings to the world: a dedication to peace, a respect for diversity, and a steadfast belief in the power of dialogue over discord. True strength does not lie in force. The world would be in a much better place if some countries had the courage to realise this,” Mr Harris said, reports Breaking News.
“We unite in defiance of those who try to silence elected politicians, who try to thwart the will of the people by violence and intimidation. In the 102 years since Michael Collins’ assassination, the methods of silencing voices may have evolved, but the intent, the implied violence and insidious effects on our society have not changed,” he said, reports Breaking News.
He added: “Today we must protect that sacred flame (of democracy) by fostering a culture of critical thinking, one where truth is valued and where debates are conducted openly with respect, and not in the shadows or the sewers,” reports Breaking News.
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