Expressing an opinion is a dangerous thing to do these days as First Lady Sabina Higgins has found out.
e all have our beliefs but to have them posted on a website reflecting the Irish people, and for them to urge a peace loving country like Ukraine – who are being attacked by a notoriously aggressive neighbour in Russia – is a misstep which has rightly come in for criticism.
The President is in damage limitation mode. He has rightly issued a statement saying that has been ‘unequivocal in his condemnation’ of Russia’s invasion.
His wife Sabina’s letter to the Irish Times which was reportedly published on the president’s website for a period of time, gave her opinion that the war will continue “until the world persuades President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire and negotiations”.
Numerous politicians, including Senator Malcolm Byrne from North Wexford, have criticised the letter, which has been described as innocent, but could also be described as rushed and ill thought through.
Fine Gael Senator John McGahon said on Twitter that the president’s statement “answers nothing” and that the controversy will continue until there is an explanation about how the letter was put on the official presidential website.
On Saturday, the senator had described Sabina Higgins’ letter as a “slap in the face” to Ukrainian refugees in Ireland.
At a time when resident’s here are hearing of their home towns and cities being pummelled by Russian artillery, the letter was deeply wounding and insensitive and unbecoming of a woman who has carried the role with such dignity, joie de vivre and enthusiasm for close on 11 years now.
Senator Byrne said Sabina Higgins is ‘perfectly entitled to hold her view’ but the website aspect raises ‘serious questions’.
He said the Áras still needs to clarify why the letter was put on the site.
The power couple have been hugely popular with many Irish people, with President Higgins ascending to legendary status in 2012 two years after he took part in a Newstalk interview hosted by George Hook. Also on the show was a rightwing Tea Party organizer and Boston conservative radio host, Michael Graham.
The clip went viral in 2012 for Michael D.’s epic 4 minute long takedown of Graham’s politics. It also brought us one of the greatest insults of all time when he urged Graham to be ‘proud to be a decent American rather just a wanker whipping up fear’.
His and Sabina’s sense of humour, famous hosting skills and celebration of the arts has won over many, with others sceptical of the role and its associated costs.
Sen Byrne’s main criticism of the content of the letter was that he believed it did not have an “unequivocal condemnation” of the actions of Russia.
We live in extraordinary times and every opportunity to condemn Russia’s actions must be used by people in the public eye to do so.
Will this end the war, no, but as an act of empathy with the millions of Ukrainian people made homeless and grieving the loss of their compatriots and family members, it is imperative that this is done.
The flighty tenor of her letter implied that there was some kind of equivalence between the actions of Russia and Ukraine.
It did not identify Russia as the aggressor leading to this presidential sized mess.
