A chara, - As Honorary National Organiser of the ASTI, may I protest in the strongest of terms at the caricature of our president, Bernadine O'Sullivan, which appeared in your Education & Living supplement of March 21st.
Bernadine is blessed with a tremendous sense of wry humour but no member of the ASTI who has spoken to me, officially, has seen any humour whatsoever in this caricature.
Some of the words used were "denigratory", "vicious", "inhuman", "anti-woman", "in bad taste". A particular observation was made several times. Never in The Irish Times was such a caricature executed that depicted male politicians, employers, clerics or, indeed, male trade union leaders in this way.
Of course, as anyone involved in politics with a big or small "p" realises, caricature and satire are par for the course when caught in the eye of a storm.
After all, people in the public eye have gone into that situation with their eyes open. However, eyes were not a luxury afforded to Bernadine O'Sullivan in this instance. - Is mise,
Helen Breathnach, Honorary National Organiser, ASTI, Winetavern Street, Dublin 8.