IT WAS difficult not to watch the Six One News this week and feel an emotional tinge as viewers were given an insight into emigration and the effect it has on families both here and abroad.
Since the Irish economy went into meltdown nearly five years ago, virtually every community in this country has been ransacked by emigration, as thousands of young people, some of them with children of their own, are forced overseas to make a living.
That is exactly what they are – forced. Forced away from the people they love by the arrogance of politicians and the contempt of bankers towards the Irish population. These expatriates don’t see a journey to Australia, Canada or the US as a fun holiday. They view it instead as a reluctant necessity.
If the ineffable, shameless individuals that bled Ireland’s finances dry were watching the excellent yet poignant reports by the Six One news team, they would have seen the true extent of the damage they have done to this country.
Their cowardly, selfish actions have been responsible for thousands of tears being shed at airports as families are made incomplete, and no amount of 21st-century technology can provide an adequate substitute for having a son, daughter, brother or sister around the table.
For those who make the journey to other continents, it can be the realisation of a fruitful way of life as they settle in their new surroundings, but equally it can be a culture change that may be too difficult to handle.
The world is an unforgiving place, particularly for those attempting to carve out their own niche thousands of miles from home. The childhood they lived, the seemingly trivial yet sentimentally treasured facets of everyday life, are but a fond memory.
This is what the politicians and bankers have done to us. The true extent of their crimes does not have a euro sign in front of it. Rather it is the hurt and anguish of emigration that is the biggest sin of all, a crime much worse than fraud.
