A letter to The Irish Times: Christmas Day Forty Foot Swim

Dismayed by the junk left floating in the Forty Foot during the Christmas Day swim this year, I wrote to the Irish Times and they published my murmurings: 

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/forty-foot-swim-1.3742263

"Sir, – The freezing festive cheer, the meeting of old friends, and the banter shared over hot drinks at the Forty Foot in Dublin on Christmas Day are pure magic. It was thronged like no previous year. Quickly in and quickly out. Yelps and screams abounded, and shared icy pain and laughter were the order of the day.

Only the brave go back for seconds, which is unfortunate given the amount of Christmas hats, fake antlers, bobbles and other junk left floating in the sea afterwards. – Yours, etc,

NICK DORAN,"

A letter to the Irish Times criticising a criticiser of political correctness: An example of free speech taking a crack at freedom of speech by criticising freedom to define sexuality.

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/pc-or-not-pc-1.3182691

(Follow the link above or skip down to the letter if you've come here from my facebook link)

A short letter I wrote last year to the Irish Times taking a crack at an article by #LarissaNolan in which she criticised 'political correctness' and loud hailed the impending disintegration of free speech! I forgot to post it last year... anyway here it is! Perceptions of the purpose and relevance of political correctness are apparently dividing people more and more, and therefore becoming more pertinent.

Political correctness in modes of expression is essentially tied to language and discourse. The understanding of the extent to which language and discourse enact power has been evidenced in writings as old as 450 years: 'the pen is mightier than the sword' and all that kinda craic, but just older again. It's certainly not a new notion. But still the idea persists that 'freedom of speech' is absolute, and that it means that it ought to be inconsequential to say anything, to anyone, or any group, anytime.