The Eighth Amendment Referendum

In response to the recent news item about the formation of a group to campaign in the upcoming Eighth Amendment Referendum, the Diary has received the following note, writes Brian Byrne. In view of the fact that the Referendum date has not yet been set, and the potentially difficult environment which it may produce, we have decided to leave the subject aside for now with the publication of this contribution. We may revisit it once the Referendum has been set and the campaign begun.

'There already exists in Kilcullen a bevy of women that are actively involved in celebrating the 8th Amendment, and along with the men and children in their lives, they hope to ensure the continued protection provided by this amendment.

They have already participated in rallies in Dublin that celebrate the 8th Amendment. They were delighted to do this, especially when they reflect on the importance of children to this community for all the obvious cultural and social reasons.

Knowing how ‘choice’ has evolved in other countries they are anxious to defend the right to life of individuals that need more than the average amount of care, especially when they consider the amount of local employment provided by caring organisations in the Kilcullen community.

Many of those that are defending the 8th Amendment have personal experiences related to this topic and are sympathetic to other people’s experiences. If anyone is interested in being part of a positive, supportive, life loving group they can email lovelifekilcullen@gmail.com.

You won’t have to be part of a campaign group or anything but it’s just nice to know you’re not alone in loving life!'

(NOTE: As with the previous piece, the name of the contributor is known to the editor.)