Sir, - Father Joe McVeigh (September 11th) places me among the "misguided people who suggest that the parents of Ardoyne bring their children to school through the back door". In so doing he is misrepresenting the point which I made (September 8th).
The opinion which I did express was that even the removal of the basic civil right of children to walk to school without intimidation did not justify the traumatisation of very young children.
My point was, therefore, that the emotional needs of children should be given priority. I did not condemn any parents or discuss the merits of using the front or back door, as he suggests.
Father Mc Veigh outlines injustices experienced and very correctly states that bullies should be challenged. However, this is not a task for four-year-old children. It is the role of adults both to protest about injustice and to ensure the protection of children.
The tragedy evidenced in Ardoyne has included children on one side being exposed to traumatic sectarian abuse, and children on the other side being given whistles and taught to hate. It is the multi-generational impact of such experiences on children which concerned me. The vulnerability of all children in situations of conflict not of their making needs to be separated from the rights and wrongs of any particular situation. - Yours, etc.,
Olive Travers, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal.