November the first where will you be....?

This is a message for those among you that have not quite made up there mind as to what they should do concerning the civil unrest around the country.

I attended the march last Saturday the 11th of October.

This is a first for me.

For the last 20 yrs i have been to caught up in everyday life to ever even considering taking to the streets to protest against the miss management of our land.

I come from a professional conservative family.

I grew up surrounded by opinions based around being a good citizen give or take one or two issues.

Okay i was always the black sheep and unfortunately i still am.

People can say what they like about me but my family instilled a strong sense of morality in me on an almost cellular level.

My father whose father was a detective for the Gardai back in the day was the most morally strict person i have ever known and believe me i know a lot of good people and you know who you are if you know me and you are reading this.

I never once doubted his convictions and words because he never faltered.If he said something he stuck to it and that was that.

He thought us to be honest to the point where i hear voices in my head when an issue of right versus wrong raises its head.

Now do not get me wrong i am not a saint.

There is a difference.

I am talking about the line.

I am talking about knowing the difference and standing up for what you believe to be fair and just.

Sometimes this may not work in our favour.

But if that voice that speaks as your conscience tells you you are right or wrong well then you should heed it.

Because that voice is the only friend you will truly ever have.

That voice like the rings used to identify a trees age is a culmination of a lifetime of often harsh lessons.

It is the vice that whispers consequence into the deafest of ears what you choose after that is between you and your maker.

I hear that voice loud and clear and it has guided me for over forty years.

And i know some of you that know me will understand what it is i am getting at.

I do not need a law to tell me not to rob.

My mother and father taught me that.The indignation and hurt in their eyes as they collected me from Store street Garda station taught me that.

I do not need judicial guidance to know that treating people unfairly makes you less than a man.

I do not need a statute book to tell me that if someone is in need of help be it on the side of the road or just through every day circumstance it is our duty as a citizen of this country to lend a hand irrespective of personal gain.

She is someones sister.Mother.

He could be a father or brother.

Everyone has a story just as important as our own.

The point is we are facing the biggest moral dilemma of our life time.

That is why i marched on Saturday the 11 th of October.

To see for myself.

To see through the fog of deception.

To believe in my convictions and i swear to you i heard a voice that day as i stood amongst thousands of my people.

I was doing the correct thing.

And i was witnessing a just awakening it was over whelming.

I know now the lies.

Everything has clicked in to place.

I cannot say for sure if my father would approve i guess we will never know the answer to that.

But what i can say is i believe that my protest is morally just.

And i believe that the people of Ireland have the irrevocable right to stand up and put an end to the injustice that has become our gaol.

Many of you are lost to the cause.

Maybe the timing is just wrong our like myself you are to caught up in your own little world to care i have to admit i know this.

Maybe its because i am at a stage in my life that i can care about more than myself.

I am not here to judge but the question must be asked for the sake of transparency.

Is it morally right to let the stewards of our destiny enslave us.

I use this word because we have been enslaved.

These are the words of a madman rummaging or his gun.

These are the words of a man that sees the world for what it is.

Harsh.

Cruel.

Unforgiving.

We have been sold lock stock and barrel.

The voice of my father in my heart told me to get up off your arse and get out on the street and tell the world that enough is enough.

And so i did.

I got off the Luas and stepped into a sea of emotion.

There were thousands where i had hoped to find a few more than hundreds.

There were songs where i thought to have herd the voices of scumbags and thugs.

There was solidarity where i thought i would feel isolated and alone.

Wow!

For those that missed it all i can say is wow!

The young the old the brave and the bold.

They were all there.

I was carried by the tide the wave after wave of emotion that flooded over around and through me.

And above all else it felt right to be there.

For the first time in my whole life i know what it feels like to be an Irishman.

I know now what all the songs are about.

Every man woman and child that ever sacrificed himself for this country was honoured that day by the thousands upon thousands that flooded the streets of Dublin.

Does feeling good need a law to diminish that guilty pleasure.

They will tell you that it does.

Does caring need a bi law to reduce it's efficacy by thirty percent at the bequest of our tormentors?

Are crumbs from the masters table enough to feed our families.

When the voice in your heart screams louder than any unjust law is it wrong to stand up for what you truly believe in.

Are you content to let the heroes from your most beloved films and stories loose their meaning because the coward in you hides in the dreamworld.

Our slavers have been found out.

The great Oz is a hoax.

The Greeks have shamed us but that shame unites us.

We are not here to be laughed at.

We are not here to be bullied.

We are here to be free.

There is no law that can be contrived that will ever change this because the law in our hearts will not allow it.

So from now on think upon what i have said.

I do not do this for me.

I have made my decision already.

I do this for you.

We must put aside our differences.

We must unite.

And together we will stop and help those less fortunate regardless of what our masters say.

Together we will protect Ireland until she regains her strength.

If this makes me a traitor then there is no law.

Ian Patrick Compton

I've gone over this twice,
Now you know already what my views are on your morals,
It's just to easy to slate you again,
So for that reason il leave it for now,
I'm fighting the urge to quote a couple of raspers above

Now getting on with November the 1st,
I hope I'm wrong here but if anyone thinks that these water charges are going to disappear they really need to get there head checked,
There's far to much money involved,
The lines have been drawn and the people of this country have been divided,
And in my opinion that's the sad truth.

I haven't paid mine yet,
But here's my take on it,
I can pay it now or pay it later,
Again here's the sad truth again
Either way I WILL HAVE TO PAY,
Like every other person in this country that is eligible to pay.
No matter how many people March!
Because I know what the government knows,
Everyone needs to March not a percentage of the people.

www.herald.ie/opinion/irish-water-now-a-...ontrol-30670637.html

I will most definitely be there! Defeatism is what they rely on to succeed.

The Irish have finally found their back one, don't let footage on YouTube convince you it is the unemployed or trouble makers that object, I was on the march and there were people from all walks of life there in their many many thousands, we can not hand this to Denis O'Brien, Nestlé, eviolia or any private company.

Denis O'Brien is worth 6 Billion, he owns Topaz etc, we only serve to make these people richer

We owe it to ourselves and the children , the rot must stop!

www.herald.ie/opinion/irish-water-now-a-...ontrol-30670637.html

Kev.

I hope your right kev
I really do do

The march did something for me that the government never could, it made me feel good again, it made me feel happy that I was not the only one and it made me fee like I belonged.

I never marched before, I pestered politicians and probably talked ad nauseum but I realised as with Ian, the only positive effect I could have was to get off my Arse and go to The nations Capitol and stop preaching and make a commitment.

Don't march, don't get involved well don't complain when it becomes apparent that your absence could have been the tipping point.

( your is a generalisation, not "you". mate

Kev.

Thanks for the English lesson kev,
Il keep it in mind if the rule ever comes in that YOU have to be spot on with YOUR grammar
All jokes aside,
We (the Irish public) bailed out the banks for more than it cost to set up Irish water and there was nothing done,
What makes you think this is any different,
The 50 million has been spent,
They will recuperate that money one way or the other,
Long or short term
March or no March.

Mate

Sorry Ciarán , I think you misunderstood me, I was saying that when I said you in my last post I ment you generally, as in you the public, I said mate because that's what I hoped you are!

Kev.

Homer wrote:

Sorry Ciarán , I think you misunderstood me, I was saying that when I said you in my last post I ment you generally, as in you the public, I said mate because that's what I hoped you are!

Kev.

You're right there kev
I might have taken that the wrong way
And as far as being friends
That goes without saying pal,
I hold you in very high regard
Not for what you do or say
But for who you are!

Ah no worries, it takes a big man

Thanks.

Kev.

If EVER there was a reason to fight this !......

Ever wondered what a Bond holder looked like??

www.broadsheet.ie/2011/04/09/ever-wonder...actually-looks-like/

Kev.

Kevin i will be there this time.

Hope to see you there Stephane.

Kev.

I'll try to be there this time, crossing fingers nothing bad happens this time...

I have participated in several demonstrations in my country, and is very emotive when there are tons of people supporting, and fighting for their rights.

reviving this one to remember everyone reading that this is an important matter and hopefully all of you will be there on the first.

Wont be up with ye lads ill be at the 1 in Kilkenny

Eric

Miamiheat wrote:

reviving this one to remember everyone reading that this is an important matter and hopefully all of you will be there on the first.

We have to meet there Stephane! Is at the same place?

i have no idea.
Does anyone know?

2pm Heuston station for the southsiders will join up with the northsiders later on probably following similar route as last time.

I just found out there will be several demonstrations in the whole country and even will be several in Dublin. Thing is... is it better support your local ones or attend to the city centre one?

You can see a list of events here www.right2water.ie/events

City centre if possible it will have the biggest effect......the government will care less for the other marches.....but a march on its doorstep is a completely different matter.Think of it this way.If someone marched against you two hundred miles away would you really care that much?where as if someone knocked on your door and protested it would no doubt affect you more.....
Ian

Spot on

Support your local one. It's the community you're living in.

So Ian what you're saying is the rest of the country protests mean F all because they're not in Dublin city centre.

Eric

Eric
People from Dublin and surrounding areas imo always consider dublin to be most important! Ie if its not dublin then everyone should travel to them!
We see it all the time, but i think its more important that the whole country is represented in whatever capacity suits people! Local is important National is essential

As far as most people i have talked to are concerned, support your local community and make it a national protest not just a localised inconvenience within 1 city

Eric are you for real?

How is this helpful?

Don't be a hater.

Hope your efforts and everyone elses are successful.....solidarity is what is needed not this.
Ian

What do you mean am I for real ? Down the country community is most important and that's why I said stay local.

Agree with hammie. Sometimes i think some people forget there's more to this country than just Dublin


Eric

Eric wrote:

What do you mean am I for real ? Down the country community is most important and that's why I said stay local.

Agree with hammie. Sometimes i think some people forget there's more to this country than just Dublin


Eric

Rise above it Eric
He's not worth it.

I live in Wicklow.

Best of luck!

To everyone.

You guys would argue with your shadows.

And I thought Cork was the capital anyway........

Ian has a point in that you may gain more visibility and consequently more results by joining in where most numbers may be and knocking on the door of the government => Where are the media going to be? Visibility is important.
With that said if you can't be in Dublin by all means be local. Just be there. Anyone using that thread to sustain other arguments is not helping.

Aroshni wrote:

I just found out there will be several demonstrations in the whole country and even will be several in Dublin. Thing is... is it better support your local ones or attend to the city centre one?

You can see a list of events here www.right2water.ie/events

Lydia you guys can come to my place to park in the building and we can walk to Heuston from there.

Miamiheat wrote:

Ian has a point in that you may gain more visibility and consequently more results by joining in where most numbers may be and knocking on the door of the government => Where are the media going to be? Visibility is important.
With that said if you can't be in Dublin by all means be local. Just be there. Anyone using that thread to sustain other arguments is not helping.

Miami,
Ian has that many points he could be a hedgehog at this stage,
Some where in Ian's short heartfelt story there's a shred of sincerity,
(and no it didn't kill me to say that
But its the tone and the way he puts things across that I was urging Eric to rise above,
There is no other arguments to sustain,
Simply because there is no argument,
If there was we would have heard one by now!
Gentle folks I leave the floor open.