Mark Aylward

Sunny Islam and the strange case of standards in the Court

2012-01-30T11:37:00.000-08:00

I usually prefer to abstain from reading about rape, rapists or those involved in vicious assault of a sexual nature because it upsets my stomach to be reminded of such vile human behaviour. However, a report in the Telegraph of January 26th caught my eye and I struggled through a report on perhaps the most disgusting creature I have had the misfortune to encounter.

Sunny Islam is, for the record, 23. I will be 23 next month. This similarity - the only likeness we share - made his crimes stick in my head even more than other cases of its kind. He has raped at least four women. The headline read: "Rapist who struck 'to teach women to stay at home.'

Islam told the court that he was a "practicing Muslim." This was not used in any headlines I read online about the case. It was used, if at all, as a seemingly insignificant extra detail at the foot of the report.

He told his victims he was going to "teach them a lesson." Can you imagine a serial rapist (police believe more victims of Islam are yet to come forward)even after the clerical abuse scandals, standing in the dock and proudly proclaiming that he was a "practicing Christian/Catholic?"

This non-story of the Muslim Islam who wants to teach his victims a lesson - I cannot bare to think what lesson and from whom's teaching precisely - is interesting on many levels. It is depressing on many, many more.

Case Study: RTE Player

2012-01-26T07:13:00.000-08:00

This study aimed to define the benefits, if any, that a family of four - with different tastes and opinions - could gain from using the RTE Player to resolve disputes over the remote control. www.rte.ie/player/
All names have been changed.

Kevin is a retired accountant living with his wife, Anne who teaches in a local foreign language school. Their daughters Emma and Sheila both live at home. They are in their early twenties. For one week they kept a log of the programmes on RTE which they wanted to watch and then had to go without watching them so they would use the online Player the next day.

In all cases -with the exception of the lottery - there were no complaints from any of the family about having to wait an extra few hours before watching their show.

A consistent problem arose, however, when programmes would stop half way through and the page would have to be refreshed. This meant that the show would start from the beginning and the viewer would have to once again sit through the advertisements which precede the broadcast.

The family all agreed that the page was easy to navigate and preferred the 'A-Z' listings from the 'latest' option.

The Future of the Printed Press

2012-01-25T05:34:00.000-08:00

After Christmas it was hard not to help but hear about the wonderful array of Kindle this and iThat. It is hard to believe that the process of rushing out to the bookshop on Christmas Eve may very well be over, but the reality – like it or not – is that new technology has taken over the zeitgeist. This could have detrimental effects on the future of both literature and journalism, with the latter in grave danger of facing extinction.

Every morning this column will buy a copy of the newspaper, search through the news pages and immediately find comfort in the editorial section. Comment and analysis is the only part of the newspaper which can boast the ‘new’ in news. The rise of social media has taken from the significance of the daily newspaper. In short: today’s paper is yesterday’s news. This has always been the case but when Twitter can deliver news ‘as-and-when-it-happens’, the consumer has very little reason to buy a hard copy paper which contains stories that they read the previous evening.
Page One: Inside the New York Times was a fascinating documentary set in the news room of one of the foremost titles in the western world. Seasoned reporters were faced with the reality of losing their jobs to this new technology and most of them have since adopted social networking as a means to keep-up with the ever-changing medium.

If more and more people choose to buy books for their kindle, this does not just mean that the future of book shops and even libraries could be in doubt, but the process of reading a book could change forever. The day when authors hold book signings and punters queue up to have their kindle scratched is a sad day. Worse still, the day when a police officer encourages his colleagues to “throw the kindle” at said criminal or, god forbid, “kindle him’, Dano.”
It is not unreasonable to suggest that the concept of the newsagent, where people went to purchase their newspaper or magazine, has now become a bakery/ deli/ cafe/ grocers and the day may soon come when they don’t even carry the product which they derived their very name from.

The media is ever-changing. This is a good thing and it is vital that the industry recognise and adopt the innovative inventions which will aim to benefit one group; the reader. However, it is harmful to the ego of the writer that the profession is being relegated to a new term, “citizen-journalist.” Professional journalists are trained in a trade and understand both their rights and responsibilities as persons of authority. Having news available 24/7 may be a great advantage to all concerned, but it is vital that the standard of reporting is maintained.
So buy a Kindle and read, read, read. A literate person is a valuable asset. But do yourself – and of course, myself - a favour and buy a newspaper in the morning. It will keep people in a job and prolong the life of an institution which would be much missed if allowed to die. And carrying a paper around can automatically make you look more important!

Book Review: Holidays in Heck by P.J O'Rourke

2012-01-23T09:43:00.000-08:00

A declaration; I love P.J O'Rourke. There, got that out of the way. Now, for the review.

War correspondence may be the least sought after job for many students of journalism, particularly when there's plenty of wars in parts of the world we can't even pronounce, let alone point out on a map.

P.J O'Rourke has been embedded with troops in all corners of the world, reporting in his own unique style for both television networks and newspapers alike. From his experiences came the bestseller 'Holidays in Hell.' Now he's a little older and, as he puts it in his latest offering;“I used to think booze and sex would bring me joy, now it’s a nap.” In 'Holidays in Heck' O'Rourke finds that taking vacation with his kids has been more hazardous to his health than being under-siege in Baghdad. It is an enjoyable read, if a little different from what readers of the political satirist might be used to.

The notoriously conservative O'Rourke has not lost his touch, he's just using it to poke fun at different targets. Britain after the hunting ban; the European Union after, well, it's very foundation. He puts forth a good argument for voting John McCain in 2008 but the chapter comes to a premature end when he recalls McCain's choice of running-mate, "he chose Sarah Palin and...oh, never mind."

His comparative study of the Disneyland of his 1950's childhood to what it has become (in his own unique way) is hilarious. However, the best writing in the book comes from his description of being diagnosed with cancer. When told of his 95 per cent chance of survival he reminisces: "come to think of it - as a drinking, smoking, saturated-fat-hound of a reporter - my chance of survival has been improved by cancer."

The freshest addition to his latest work comes in the form of a supporting cast, his family. Wife Tina (Mrs. O) their daughters Lizzie and Olivia (Muffin and Poppet) and son, Clifford (Buster). It may be a far cry from Republican Party Reptile or Parliament of Whores, but this O'Rourke, with slippers and a pipe, still packs a heavy punch. Holidays in Heck is a knock-out blow.

Aengus Fanning

2012-01-17T04:19:00.000-08:00

The passing of Aengus Fanning came to me via Twitter. I wish I'd left my phone at home today. I think I was about ten when I first met Aengus. My mother told me he was a journalist and from that moment on, I decided I wanted to be a journalist too. He drove a BMW with the sun-roof down as his hair blew from the sea breeze. He was the coolest person I had ever seen. I recall with great pleasure sitting in his living room some years ago. Peter O'Brien was on piano, a genius. Ronnie Drew was doing his raconteur bit, inbetween 'auld ballads. Then there was Aengus doing what he loved, playing sax for those in attendance. He was a great host, I think I had my first taste of Guinness at one of his house parties! I last seen Aengus in November, he was enjoying Teddy's ice-cream on the seaside at Sandycove. I am so glad that this is my last memory of a man who will forver encourage me to chase my goals. My favourite story about Aengus was from when I told him that the actor who played him in Veronica Guerin could pass for his twin brother. He laughed, before replying; "maybe, but the accent was awful."

RIP.

GOP Primary Season underway.

2012-01-11T04:43:00.000-08:00

Mitt Romney has taken an early lead and looks almost certain to be the Republican challenger to Barack Obama in November's election. Newt Gingrich will not give up, evidence for this comes from his pumping millions into South Carolina next week. Ron Paul has polled well and is showing a massive improvement from previous campaigns. This may be vital when the convention comes to town and he may prove a Kingmaker. Huntsman and Santorum have come in from the wilderness, proving that you can never say never in politics. Still, this page feels that something is missing in the campaign. Rick Perry is not the conservative candidate to infuriate the liberal press. Herman Cain has been missed, for all his baggage , and Sarah Palin may regret not running (for all her, well, baggage).
Stay tuned, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

The increasing influence of the Tea Party on GOP affairs

2011-12-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

As the candidates for the 2012 Presidential primaries prepare for the last weeks of campaigning before the Iowa caucus on January 3rd, Mark Aylward looks at the increasing influence of The Tea Party on the GOP. He explains why any Republican president would need the backing of the conservative grassroots movement which has taken Washington by storm.

At the time of writing, Newt Gingrich is the front-runner to challenge Barack Obama for the Presidency next November. Gingrich is an old-school Republican, a former Speaker of the House who holds conservative views and has, in the past, alienated moderate GOP voters. Gingrich can hardly be described as a ‘fresh’ candidate; he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1979, so why is he the flavour of the month amongst the newest core demographic of Republican voters, The Tea Party?
Behind Gingrich, in what is an ever-changing poll is Ron Paul, the libertarian candidate. Paul was referred to as its “intellectual godfather” and was one of the first Representatives to endorse the Tea Party. His son, Rand, was elected to the Senate on a Tea Party ticket. While he and Gingrich - a Roman Catholic - would agree on little, they are both popular amongst Tea Party voters and are happy to appease this demographic. Other candidates who have pulled out of the race, including Tim Pawlenty and more recently, Georgian pizza mogul Herman Cain, had failed to garner support from the Tea Party and many commentators suspect this played a vital role in the latter’s ‘suspending’ his candidacy.
But why are the candidates avoiding criticising the Tea Party? And what has made this grassroots gathering such a huge player on the national political stage? The name Tea Party is derived from the American colonists who objected to a British enforced tax on tea in 1773. The Boston Tea Party was considered by some to have led to the War of Independence and the eventual establishment of the constitution of the United States of America. The Tea Party of the 21st Century stands for much the same, it just deals with more concerning issues than tea.
The Tea Party official website describes the movement as “…A grassroots movement that calls awareness to any issue that challenges the security, sovereignty, or domestic tranquillity of our beloved nation, the United States of America. From our founding, the Tea Party represents the voice of the true owners of the United States: WE THE PEOPLE.”
Critics, such as liberal satirists John Stewart and Stephen Colbert have dismissed Tea Party Republicans as “making Ronald Reagan look like a Hollywood communist”. The Party is not popular amongst Democrats due to its strict views on immigration and calls for less government involvement in society (i.e.; lower taxes) but more Americans, who are disgruntled with how Barack Obama has handled the economy, are seeking answers from the Republican Right and that means The Tea Party.
Conservative columnist Ruth Dudley Edwards has commented on the issue: “Tea Partiers have meetings right across the country, focusing on lobbying politicians to push the Republican Party towards fiscal conservatism.” She argues that it is neither fair nor accurate to describe them as racists who just want Obama out of office, an argument put forth by actor Morgan Freeman. The Tea Party is simply about Americans who want the government to “keep its nose out of our business”, and it all started because of ObamaCare.
When he came into office in 2009, Obama quickly got to work on a universal healthcare package which, he said, would give free healthcare to all Americans. This sparked a backlash, as middle-Americans marched to Washington in protest at what they felt was simply another increase in taxation. Official Tea Party emails were sent to House Representatives demanding “Congress wipe ObamaCare off the books! The People Reject ObamaCare. No doubt this will anger the Washington Socialists, but it will save America!”Unsurprisingly, the Tea Party is a predominantly Christian movement, whose aims include promoting traditional family values and combating legislation that would legalise abortion. The emergence of Mitt Romney, a Mormon former Governor of Massachusetts, has been interesting. Tea Partiers don’t seem drawn to Romney and recently his figures in the poll have been sliding. Blogger John LeBoutillier has written about the Tea Party; “They do not like Mitt Romney. He has never connected with them. His disastrous, churlish Brett Baier Fox News Channel interview last Tuesday accelerated his decline and thus the inevitable end of his campaign. The tea party and Christian evangelical voter – and they are two distinct groups – have never liked Mitt. These voters are now the heart of the GOP.”
Le Boutillier has accepted that Newt Gingrich will now get the substantial support from Herman Cain and his supporters, and that this will bring him over the line, perhaps as soon as Super Tuesday (March 6th). If this is the case, it will signal a new dawn for the Republican Party. It will prove that even an old GOP veteran like Newt has abandoned the moderate, centrist wing of the party and embraced Tea Party conservatism, thus shifting the ideological mind-set of Republicans further to the right.
“This would not be a bad thing,” according to Caroline Moriarty, an American-born mother of three living in Dublin with her Irish husband. “America has been taken over by a liberal elite who seem more interested in promoting immigration than looking after hard-working, middle-Americans.” Caroline still holds a US passport and is entitled to vote in the Arizona primary via absentee ballot, she’s voting for Gingrich. Does it bother her that he is currently married to his third wife? “Not at all, I like what he stands for, he is a family man.” Is she satisfied that he has had extra-marital affairs? “Nobody’s perfect.”
Tea Partiers have been accused of hypocrisy by calling for an end to big government while at the same time endorsing a former Speaker of the House who is a wealthy man, not free from controversy. However, the aura that surrounded Obama in 2008 has faded, not even the most optimistic Democrat believes that he will attract as many voters this time. He has been compared to Jimmy Carter, the liberal Democrat who served just one term in the late 1970’s, after what many believe was a lame presidency. Even Newt Gingrich has called Obama “the next Jimmy Carter” and it does not sit well with the President.
Peter Wehner, writing in the Weekly Standard explains; “Obama inherited a tough economy, but his stewardship has in many respects made the situation worse.” Wehner is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy centre and he puts I down to lack of jobs; “The unemployment rate stands at 9.1 per cent (it was 7.8 per cent the month Obama took office). July marked the 30th consecutive month in which the unemployment rate was above the 8 per cent level that the Obama administration said it would not exceed as a result of its stimulus program. Chronic unemployment is worse than during the Great Depression, while the share of the eligible population holding a job (58.1 per cent) has declined to the lowest level since the early 1980s.”
The public anger at statistics like this has resulted in the rise of the Tea Party. Americans from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds are getting behind the call to shrink government, lower taxes and bring an end to bank bail-outs. The aura which surrounded the election of America’s first black president has faded. The economy is not in a healthy state and people are worried about losing their jobs. It is hard to tell how many registered Republicans are sympathetic to the Tea Party cause, but there is no doubt that Tea Party Republicans are making the most noise in Washington.
Dana Loesch, host of the Alternative Conservative, has been recognised as a founding member of the Tea Party. She is 33 years young, and calls herself the “alternative to old guys on talk radio.” She is important because she doesn’t fit the conservative stereotype. More young Americans are informing their politics from the right of centre. This does not bode well for a Democratic President who was put into office by a young electorate.
If the polls are anything to go by, and they usually are, Obama has a fight on his hands to keep the Tea Party at bay. If he fails, they may well have their first candidate in the White House. Right now, that man appears to be Newt Gingrich.

It does not take sober-thinking to see that legalising drugs is not the solution

2011-11-15T04:25:00.000-08:00

It does not take sober-thinking to see that legalising drugs is not the solution
When a country hits rock bottom, with financial disaster looming- if not already a reality, ideas for solution are handed out like programmes on a match day. Innovative ideas for sourcing revenue have been thrown around from all sides of the socio-political divide. They can range in merit, ideal and agenda. The best of these ideas stems from the left, who have argued that we should legalise drugs and prostitution. We are told that this would end the vile practice of trafficking and was in the interest of “Human Rights”. If we legalise prostitution Niall O’Dowd, who recently flirted with the Arás, says that it would “keep the pimps and drug dealers out of it.” Niall seems to miss the fact that many prostitutes do not sell their bodies because it gives them a sense of self, but because they are feeding a habit. What kind of habit? A DRUG habit. They will get their drugs by any means and drug-lords will continue to live in bigger houses than both Niall and myself.
Let’s move onto drugs and the best argument in favour of legislation put forward by Irish Independent columnist James Downey in his article entitled; Time to use the nuclear option in drugs ‘war’ -- legalise them all.
I wholeheartedly agree, James. Why didn’t anybody think of this sooner? What we need, as a nation in the darkest squalor, sinking into the abyss of total collapse; is to legalise drugs. Make cocaine available to all public service workers and they would work twenty-four hour days, every day. Imagine how more efficient our health services would be if all practitioners were high on crystal meth? Teachers keep complaining about stress? Never mind Miss, here’s a spliff, chill out.
Not only would this mean that buses would never be late, but if Dublin Bus gave speed to all its drivers, they would start doing laps; that’s a service you could set your watch to.
If we legalise drugs and prostitution, my socialist friends assure me that the underground criminal activity which has infected this country, would cease. But what about the cigarette smugglers, a million euro trade dealing in legal drugs? Oh, such fussy details just ignore that.
At present, it would seem that our psychiatric hospitals may be releasing patients before their treatment is complete (I have come to this conclusion by walking the streets of Dublin during the day and observing the interesting behaviour of those I encounter; try it sometime). With the inevitable rise in cases of schizophrenia, paranoid delusions and psychosis it should be interesting to see how the wonderful HSE continue to lead the way in organisation and competence.
In his article, Downey references Sigmund Freud, which is interesting when one considers that Freud, a depressive, endorsed the use of cocaine and perhaps altered his own intellect by abusing the drug.
Richard Boyd Barrett TD has offered his two cents on the drugs debate. ‘I don’t think we should criminalise any drugs but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t control their use” he says, continuing; “But it would be better to deal with it in a regulated way, primarily through the health service.’ Doesn’t he sound democratic? The health service. The same health service which he has, rightly, attacked since his election to Dail Eireann is to be entrusted to regulate a state system for the distribution of substances. Truly mind-altering, indeed.
Then there’s Ming. Before he was the highly respected TD for Roscommon-South Leitrim, our hero once sent a marijuana joint to members of our Parliament. They didn’t use them, we’re told, but what if they had? Maybe we wouldn’t be in this current predicament? What if they had puffed on Ming’s magic dragon? Maybe our legislators would have been too legless to make the deals which allow senior civil servants give themselves pay bonuses merely for showing up on time? Perhaps the decision to allow Ministers abuse expenses and never face disciplinary proceedings would not have come about. What Minister would dare go to Cannes for a movie when he could cure his munchies at home with a DVD?
Why, if we had made it acceptable for drugs to be passed around and used by all, Bertie Ahern would still be the loveable character he was back in 2000. “What did you do with the money, Bertie?” “I, eh, am very sorry, Your Honour, I was, eh, too baked to take it to the bank.” “A bad batch of weed, Taoiseach?” “Yes, Your Honour”. Case dismissed.
Nobody would ever defend the inhumane acts of drug dealers, especially not this writer. The solution to the drug ‘war’ is to round up the barons – any Government that does not know from who and where drugs are coming from in their state, is not fit to run a bath—and lock them all up. Any time a newsreader announces that a gangland killing was ‘drug-related’ and that the victim was ‘known to Gardaí’ we immediately learn that the state is not in the dark when it comes to this dastardly behaviour.
It does not take sober-thinking to see that legalising drugs is not the solution. What we need is a firmer fist on criminals and to abolish the policy of appeasement which has made mugs of an entire state.

Logic, or Irish logic?

2011-11-15T04:24:00.000-08:00

Paddy O’Brien (Letters, Independent 3rd September) believes that ‘logic’ will take over from the Catholic Church in secularist Ireland. I wonder where he sees evidence of logic in this state. Does he see it in the handling of our hospital services by the HSE? Or in how we became one of the fastest growing economies in the western world with a boom based on falsehoods? Has he been impressed by the vast amount of unqualified mathematics teachers tutoring our young? Perhaps the system of offering bonuses to senior civil servants merely for showing up on time has persuaded him to see ‘logic’ as being at the forefront of our future? Basically, what I’m trying to determine here is does he mean logic-logic or it’s estranged, distant relative -- Irish logic?

Mark Aylward
Glasthule, Co. Dublin

Aggressive secularism

2011-11-15T04:23:00.000-08:00

James Downey (Comment 27th August) declares that "there is no aggressive secularism in Ireland." I wonder what size the rock he has been inhabiting is and, indeed, how he managed to breath whilst under it. When Taoiseach Kenny attacked the Vatican last month he was hailed as a messiah of some sort, his popularity soaring and the media swooning. This populist maneuvering against the church was most likely well advised by his back-room thinkers as the ideal scapegoat to divert attention from further economic woes. Our education minister wants to remove religion from our schools, which are owned by the religious order. The very fact that anti-clerical rhetoric is seen as a good thing, and any attempt by the catholic church to defend itself is automatically a bad thing proves just how aggressively dogmatic a secular state we now live in. If we aspire to a be a democratic state we must acknowledge, accept and respect the beliefs of all citizens and end the folly of attacking organisations merely for political gain. Whilst I do not expect this kind of honesty from our politicians, forgive me for seeking it in the columns of seasoned journalists such as Mr Downey. Yes, Ireland has become a secularist state and the days of church rule are gone. The next question is of more concern: what replaces it?

Mark Aylward
Glasthule, Co. Dublin

David Norris' friends in the media

2011-11-15T04:22:00.000-08:00

Last month, Taoiseach Enda Kenny stood up in Dail Eireann and denounced an entire state for interfering in judicial investigations into child abuse. Now, David Norris has withdrawn from the presidential election for...interfering in judicial investigations into child abuse. I don't know which is worse; the mourning in the liberal media for Norris or the fact that no member of government would dare condemn his actions. Once again it takes a column from Kevin Myers to highlight the double-standards in our society and the nonsense which follows the fall of icons of the left. May I suggest that Kevin Myers run for president? He would never be elected but would infuriate enough people to transform this lame campaign into something worth following.
Mark Aylward
Glasthule, Co. Dublin

In response to Aidan O'Sullivan

2011-11-15T04:21:00.001-08:00

While agreeing with me that elected officials should see out their full term, Aidan O'Sullivan (Letters, Irish Independent, July 12) fails to list reasons why MEP's may not be able to continue their duties. I can think of three; ill-health, maternity and death. Candidates using elections to prop-up their public profile ahead of what they see as better positions in the future, is wrong. If Alan Kelly and Joe Higgins had plans to run in the general election in 2011, contesting European elections in 2009 was dishonest and insulting to those who voted for them. I would also dispute Mr. O'Sullivan's claim that substitutes names are displayed in the polling booth, as I am yet to see this information properly advertised.
Mark Aylward
Glasthule, Co. Dublin.

My first letter in the Indo

2011-11-15T04:20:00.001-08:00

Gay Mitchell's nomination as Fine Gael's candidate for the Presidential election means that he could become the third elected member of the European Parliament to vacate their position two years into a five-year term. Both Labour's Alan Kelly and Independent Joe Higgins ran in the general election last February and passed on their seats in Brussels to substitutes, who were not selected by the electorate. They join the many county councillors who were elected to local authorities on the same day in 2009, but moved up to Dail Eireann, leaving a party (not public) selection committee to co-opt a replacement. I don't believe this practice to be in the best interests of the people of Ireland and will make a point of asking every candidate in forthcoming elections if they intend on seeing out the full term for which they are seeking. If not, they will not be receiving my vote.

Mark Aylward
Glasthule
Co. Dublin