Sad news broke from the Cork South Central constituency last night, as Cork’s south inner city community and the Bandon Road area had another victim to a knife murder in the space of a few months.
The spiral of ongoing widespread illegal drug abuse, wild student nightlife and increasing violence is becoming too much for the community to bear.
From a Republican Socialist perspective, we may well ask why, and point out that Vols. Dermot Crowley and Tony Aherne, both from a working class area in Cork City, in a previous, recent generation, chose to travel North to join the fight against British imperialism at just 18. They gave their young lives for this just cause, and rightly or wrongly for reasons and ends bigger than themselves.
But what cause do the young men of violence serve today? Destroying their families and communities for personal pride.
Cork IRSP member Lar O’Tuama has said, “The societal pressures on the youth of today are arguably tougher than ever, and we need to protect our youth by giving them opportunities to grow and mature away from the life of street violence. A young man is dead tonight, needlessly and violently, but two families will grieve.’
“The IRSP in Cork knowledge that this crime and tragedy tonight is a pointless waste of life. We grieve along with our community, and implore our young people to turn away from knife crime, drug abuse and wanton criminality.”
