YFG clearly don’t “apricate” English language
Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley
Is the English language going to pot?
We only ask because Bradley Bytes’ attention was brought to a recent email apparently sent by Young Fine Gael (YFG) to its members at NUI Galway.
It’s such a short email, yet there are almost as many grammatical and spelling errors in it as there are words.
Here it is, extra points to readers who can spot all the errors:
“Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are having three debates this wednesday at 7pm in AC202. The precise topics are "Should cannabis be legalised", "Was Irelands latest budget to harsh", and "Is Ireland ready for Gay marriage".
“We have Cllr Frank Fahy will be chairing the debates. I should be a good night of debates and we would be greatly apricate if you could come along.
Regards
YFG Committee.”
Oh dear. Where do you start. We can only assume YFG were in the College Bar when they drafted the email.
We’ve reproduced it here in full, not to poke fun at Galway’s baby-Blueshirts – although that would be reason enough – but just to warn you readers about the calibre of the up-and-coming politicians and their advisers, who will be running our country sometime in the future.
Land of the free (legal aid)
County Councillors’ draconian right-wing credentials in relation to people suspected of crimes were paraded in public again last week.
At the County Galway Joint Policing Committee (JPC) meeting, speaker after speaker suggested repeat offenders should be denied free legal aid.
Some said the State should “attack” the Social Welfare payments of people who get legal aid.
It sounds great and will win votes because we’re in recession and people don’t like paying for other people’s solicitors. But take away free legal aid from defendants, which is what they are – defendants, innocent until proven guilty – then where do you stop.
If that’s the route we’re going down then sure why bother allowing them defend themselves in court at all, just lock them all up and throw away the key.
That appears to be the populist approach. It’s one favoured by Taliban-types, too.
But we live in a democracy, councillors. Have they never heard of the right to a fair trial and equality before the law, concepts legal aid is supposed to uphold?
For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.