The Price of Exercising your Democratic Rights...

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis Wednesday May 17, 2006 14:39 by Geraldine Moorkens Byrne byrnemus at eircom dot net

Try to protest, Pay with your Reputation.

The NRA throws around groundless allegations: and those who protest find the price of exercising their democratic rights comes very high indeed.

This week, The Irish Times published an article by Tim O'Brien, reporting "M3 delays costing €1m a week - NRA". It's a charming piece in which the NRA goes on not only to claim that the opposition to their Motorway is costing the tax payers a mysterious 1 million Euro a week - but "points out" that nine people have died on the N3 in a 21 month period. Just how this latter fact is the fault of the various groups opposing the motorway they neglect to explain. But the implication is clear.

Those who dare oppose the motorway are thieves and murderers (a point Vincent Salafia raised in an article in the same newspaper refuting the NRA's claims) If you, like me, think that re-routing a single section of a motorway to protect a national monument, related sites and generally important archaeology is reasonable, be prepared to hear yourself vilified.

Of course the NRA has no actual grounds for their claims. Firstly, there is no delay, at least none caused by the protesters. There is no injunction. Noone is throwing themselves under a bulldozer to prevent the work. There isn't even a hairy tree-hugger chained to a JCB. 12 months ago, not 21, Minister Dick Roche gave his instructions and work started. The law suit by Vincent Salafia was filed after this date. Work has proceeded unimpeded. So if one million Euro a week is going missing I for one - as a tax payer with no offshore accounts - would like to know where the hell has it gone?

Secondly, while it is disgusting that 9 people died on any stretch of road, sadly hundreds are dying on our roads every year. The causes are a little more complex than the NRA would seem to acknowledge. Then again given they are responsible for building the roads and infrastructure on which so many die...well one can understand them looking for excuses elsewhere. But what exactly has opposing the motorway to do with that statistic of 9 dead?

Is the NRA telling us that allowed to go their preferred route they will build a great road, but force them to move a little and they'll build a bad one? surely they plan on building the road to a high standard wherever its route lies? And as construction on the motorway in question was never due to start until next year, 2007, how could any lives have been saved? What is the link between these deaths and a lawsuit that has not delayed construction by one day? perhaps we can find the answer in the same safety deposit box as the one million per week.

And if the NRA is so safety conscious could we please have some crash barriers on the M50? Thanks!

And people think the Da Vinci code is mysterious

Of course for the NRA to lecture you or me on wasting tax payers money is a tad ironic in itself. I drive, I pay tax - I am the mug paying for the road. And if it gets built I will be the one paying tolls on that road. The NRA on the other hand is the body that presides over the National Roads program under the
National Development Plan 2000-2006. The budget for which is now nearing 20 billion, up from an
original allocation of 6 billion. And it is only half finished.

But the most sinister aspect of all this? the ease with which the mud was sung, aided by journalists and the ease which with it sticks. Oppose the Motorway, this tells people, and you ally yourself with thieves and murderers. Exercise a democratic right to protest, and you will find yourself one rung below smokers in the social pariah stakes. Give up and give in, this wheedles, or we'll make you out to be the bad guys.

Yes, the price of our democratic freedoms just got that little but higher.