The Godfather speaks

As Don Corleone will readily confirm, being a godfather can be a bit of a curate’s egg. News that my godson recently attained 1st class honours and was awarded a gold medal was somewhat offset by the ongoing concern about his paternity and maternity. I’m convinced that someone, somewhere is rearing an idiot amid a clutch of genius siblings.

Enough of that - imagine my pride when I heard that my godson had chosen to follow in my cranky footsteps and his first letter had been published in yesterday’s Irish Times. Until I read the actual letter in question, which sucks up to the liberal, feminist, lesbian bias of the Irish Times - where letters must be addressed to “Madam”!

I haven't read the contribution from Susan Philips which his letter refers to, but she sounds like my type of gal. One can only suppose that he was trying to impress the mot with his liberal stance, rather than seeking to out himself.

However, getting liberal views published on such topics in the Irish Times is, frankly, far too easy. The real challenge is to get something right-wing, illiberal, conservative, homophobic, pro-Bush, pro-war, pro-catholic church etc etc. . I’ll have to select a suitable topic and set him a challenge for the new year.

Michael's maiden Irish Times effort is reproduced below:

Madam, - Susan Philips asserts that the authors of Bunreacht na hÉireann did not have same-sex couples in mind when penning the phrase "to guard with special care the institution of marriage". This may in fact be true, but is entirely beside the point.
The Constitution is a living document and must therefore adapt to reflect the changes experienced in Irish society over the past 70 years.
It would be wrong to hold sacred the ill-informed and clumsy phrasing of de Valera et al and to allow it to have a negative bearing on the human rights of today's citizens.
If this week's revelations have taught us nothing else, it is that the Irish political giants of yesteryear were far from infallible.- Yours, etc,
MICHAEL KELLY