Savita Halappanavar
After reading a couple of diaries yesterday on the awful death of Savita Halappanavar (this is the one that started me off:
http://www.dailykos.com/... I decided that the vacation our family had been planning in Ireland would have to be cancelled. I also decided to send a letter to various Irish officials telling them of our cancelled vacation. OllieGarkey requested that I post the letter, so here it is, complete with a list of email addresses for other Kossacks interested in writing their own letters.
(separately sent to the Prime Minister which is called the Taoiseach, the Deputy Prime Minister which is called the Tanaiste, and the Minister of Health; also sent a copy to various official Irish tourism offices)
Mr. Enda Kenny, Taoiseach
Republic of Ireland
Dear Mr. Kenny,
My family had been planning a lengthy holiday in your beautiful country this summer. I was greatly looking forward to it.
However, after reading articles concerning the horrendous treatment of Savita Halappanavar, her unjustified death, the cowardly position of Irish government officials, and a number of articles about abortion policy in Ireland, we have decided that we will not spend a penny of our money in your country. Clearly your government does not value the lives, health and safety of women.
I plan to tell everyone I know to avoid travel in Ireland -- for women of childbearing age in particular, it is obviously a dangerous place.
In addition, my family will not purchase Irish products sold in the United States and will recommend that others also avoid buying Irish products.
This summer, our family will be traveling happily in Scotland knowing that Scotland has far more respect for women than does the Republic of Ireland.
Sincerely,
Email addresses are below the orange swiggle. Please share this information with as many people as possible. Also, if anyone knows of other actions we can take to make a difference in Irish abortion policy, please post that info.
Many thanks to OllieGarkey for the alternative ideas about Scotland. My husband is now totally excited about going to Skye!
Mr. Enda Kenny, Taoiseach
taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie
Mr. Eamon Gilmore, Tanaiste (should have an accent above the a but I don't know how to do that!)
tanaiste@dfa.ie
Dr. James Reilly, Minister of Health
minister's_office@health.gov.ie
And tourism offices (Failteireland.ie agency -- the regional offices and the U.S. office):
kevin.moriarty@failteireland.ie
(East & Midlands East)
fiona.monaghan@failteireland.ie
(Lakelands and also West)
martina.bromley@failteireland.ie
(North West)
gary.breen@failteireland.ie
(South East)
fiona.buckley@failteireland.ie
(South West)
mary.collins@failteireland.ie
(Dublin)
ametcalfe@tourismireland.com
(U.S. office for Irish tourism)