Why is voting booth door barred to us?
(Jude Collins, Irish News) Last Sunday John Hume was on an RTE news clip holding the letter Y. To his left was Garret Fitzgerald gripping an S and, between them, Bertie Ahern clutching an E. Many Derry people assumed John was saying hello, since ‘Yes’ is a traditional Derry greeting; in fact he was signalling his approval of the Nice Treaty. Last week Gerry Adams was on RTE’s Questions and Answers, arguing the case for a ‘no’ vote on Saturday. It is good to see these two Irishmen involved in the debate on an issue destined to shape our country’s future. The irony is that while both men can add their weight through campaigning, they’ll be barred from entering a voting booth in two days’ time. That’s because Hume and Adams are from the north or rather, because their main residences are in the north. If they open their Irish passport, they’ll see it describes them as “a citizen of Ireland” who should be allowed “to pass freely and without hindrance”. If they check the conditions of regist
