Monthly Archives: November 2010

I Believe Torture is Wrong

I was shocked by reports last week, e.g. Lara Marlowe’s article in the Irish Times, of George W Bush’s admission that he approved of and, indeed, ordered torture. Torture is wrong. Not to be tortured, physically or mentally, is a fundamental human right. When things are totally wrong there is no point trying to compare magnitudes. The magnitudes of the impacts of wrongness may vary or may be immeasurable, but all things that are totally wrong are equally totally wrong.
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Lack of Shelter for Commuters

Photo of canopy shelter, Newbridge railway station, Co. Kildare

Canopy shelter, Newbridge railway station, Co. Kildare

The railway station in Newbridge is beautiful and quaint, persisting from another time. I appreciate beauty and form and function. However, I am an engineer of today, who is keen to address the needs of today’s society. I believe it is right and proper to dismantle (let me be blunt, destroy) beauty that has outlived its era. Let’s log it, digitize it or store samples of it in heritage parks or museums. The Earth is not big enough to leave our former built environment in place as we continue our development.
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