Concerned Irish electorate need to emulate Vera Brady

Bar stool political commentators are the worst. If Irish people are said to be politically aware, it must be stated too that we’re probably the least likely of races to act upon our misgivings about the government of the day.

Vera Brady is made of different stuff however. In true “down with this sort of thing” fashion, she religiously encamped outside Peter Stringfellows lapdancing club every weekend protesting against what she saw as the sexual objectification of women. Ultimately, suits and men with money were driven from Parnell Street in shame.

Wouldn’t it great if a concerned Irish electorate emulated Vera Brady to affect the change that they crave? Instead, in the 2002 general election turnout clocked in at 63%, well below the European average of 72%. Morrissey once wrote, “Bigmouth strikes again. I’ve got no right to take my place in the Human race.” This post is not suggesting that non-voters be treated as non-humans but this lack of engagement with the political system is a sad reflection on a society so obsessed with house prices that they can’t take the time to make their mark on the ballot paper.

The irony of a blogger calling a 5-pint man a big mouth is not lost on me. But we’re doing our own Vera Brady impersonation of sorts. Elbow-out-the-car-window bitching about Fianna Fail cannot be compared to the efforts of a group of people discussing the same things in a much more public fashion. Today, I listened to Cian O’Flaherty talk at lunchtime on RTE Radio 1. Half an hour earlier, Annette Clancy, Claire Wilson and Damien Mulley talked about blogging for almost 20 minutes.

When the bar stoolers get their act together, things will change. They’ll start attending party meetings and “Save the Hospital” rallies. Their TDs might actually sit up and take notice. Unfortutanely, this will not happen until the bar stoolers find that they’re no longer able to afford three nights out at the weekend.