Leo Varadkar


A brief snapshot of Varadkar's speech

Driving around beautiful rural Ireland earlier this week,one could not help to notice banner after banner screaming for support of the existing abortion laws.
To me the vote to ammend, what I see as a restrictive , barbaric and illogical set of rules was a no brainer and Leo Varadker's speech celebrating this monumental change almost brought me to tears this morning.

52 comments:

  1. The errors of the Catholic establishment have helped ordinary Irish citizens to cast of their chains and think for themselves. A wonderful referendum result.

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    1. It was always ( I hoped) to be a non brainer with gay marriage being passed

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  2. It is a victory for common sense and for never for such a terrible thing to happen as happened to Savita Halappanavar again.

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    1. I didn't know her story until going to Ireland. How awful

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  3. An amazingly result. The Republic has made a huge leap forward. But will the diehard Northern Ireland politicians ever follow suit?

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  4. The video will not play for me, but I applaud the result. Loudly.

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    1. Apologies will try and dig out another ..it's worth listening to

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    2. Thank you. It most definitely was worth listening to.

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  5. Hear, hear. In so many ways, this is the right way forward.

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  6. Too true I was also in tears. It also would not play for me but offered me the option to view it on YouTube which did work.
    Thanks John.
    Peter

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  7. Cheers to Ireland for doing the right thing! Cheers for Human Rights! Congratulations!!!

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  8. Things must be changing if Ireland has a gay, mixed-race Prime Minister. (I don't know how to spell 'Tea-shop'.)

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  9. I was so pleased with the news coming from Ireland. It's long past time.

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  10. Thank you for posting this John , It is long overdue XX

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    1. I thought it was pretty quick off the mark. They've only just had the vote.

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  11. A well written and well delivered speech, oh how some of us long for a literate leader.

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  12. welcome to the 21st century, ireland. we in the USA should also be moving forward, but noooooo...

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  13. It is so amazing that this has happened and that the Irish have a gay prime minister who is of part Indian descent. No such luck for us in the USA...sigh.

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    1. Anonymous9:01 am

      it should not depend on gender/race or if someone is gay or not

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  14. Never realized how patriarchal Ireland remained to be. Happy these outdated/immoral/unethical laws have been overturned.

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  15. I think Ireland should take a long look at what they and the catholic church did at the orphanages they operated up into the 70's.

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  16. Way to go Ireland. Well done. And yep I like Leo - a politician with a brain - who wudda thunk.

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  17. We recall the 'Holy Father' John Paul II's visit to Ireland in 1979 when the first thing he did (to implied fanfares) was to drop to his knees and kiss the ground/tarmac in thanks to the country which had been so faithful and willingly subservient to the authority of the 'Holy Mother Church' up to that point - an act which, though superficially dramatic at the time seems, in retrospect, to have been the kiss of death to any notion of taking Irish obedience to the Church for granted, as past horrors started to become evident in the ensuing decades. I should think that Papa Frankie's upcoming visit in August will be a rather more muted affair - and tinged with more than a little humility this time, I trust - and with NO finger-wagging!

    This referendum result throws the absurd pivotal position of Northern Ireland's DUP into relief - and even moreso now when PM May can STILL be blackmailed into cowering to their wishes by counting on the DUP's support into keeping the British government's survival alive. Just get it over with, May. You now have the power to bring the entire U.K. into consistency on Women's Choice AND Equal Marriage. Don't go running scared - you know what's right. Just DO IT!

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  18. Woo Hoo, that a woman's body should be recognized as her own, to decide what to do with and when! It's about time, Ireland. -Kate

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    1. But will she consult the baby as to the outcome that he/she would prefer?

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  19. Glad to see Ireland finally shaking off the remaining shackles of the Catholic church.

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  20. All my Irish friends are celebrating! Well done, women of Ireland!!!

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  21. Moving remarks and I just really like him. The photos of women returning to vote in such numbers really touched me. At last.

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    1. Nearly 70% of the vote....a huge turnout too

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  22. The church is going to have to change or it is going to be left behind completely. Which, in my view, is not a bad thing at all but I know that many would disagree with me.

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  23. Men have been able to control their ability to have children for ages and they don't even have to deal with pregnancy or childbirth. It's about time women had the same choice!

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  24. Every woman in the world should have a right tomake her own choice on abortion (and other things as well, but that is not appropriate here) but will Northern Ireland follow suit? I doubt it.

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  25. Perhaps they need a referendum too

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  26. It is an amazing thing from here to witness to see Ireland go 'liberal' with gay marriage and women's rights etc .

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  27. The world needs to change and this is a start.

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  28. Good on you Ireland!

    Here in Oz it is considered a State issue, so it varies from state to state. Essentially abortion is available everywhere, but can be expensive because some women (still!) have to fly interstate, or in from the bush etc.
    Sorry, climbing down from my high horse now. This issue just really gets my goat. Particularly since I live in a state where a woman has to have two doctors declare the abortion necessary for the woman's mental health. Grr. Seems I got back on that horse. Sorry.
    But again, yay, Ireland!

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  29. Amazing it's taken so long, but Catholicism's arm is very powerful.

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  30. what a well spoken Prime Minister. Well done to Ireland.

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  31. I agree absolutely with Weaver's comments. Every woman in the world should have total control over her body. In this day and age it's a disgrace that a government, or Religious Establishment, should dictate how any woman lives her life.

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  32. It seemed to be the obvious outcome and yet what a relief it actually happened.

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  33. As a 'never was' catholic (that decision was made by my parents) I'm so glad to see this outcome for Ireland - it's been a long time coming. The lessening grip of the catholic church is progress in my opinion.

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  34. What a wonderful speech by the Prime Minister. As Ireland moves in the right direction, America goes dark. Rights that were fought for and won are being taken away.

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  35. I was thrilled that so many voters went the right way on this issue.

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  36. Anonymous4:11 pm

    With all due respect I'm curious to know - does everyone think it's okay to kill an unborn child? I don't see anyone talking about the other side to the issue. Enlighten me, please!!

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