Consequences are a vital element of the human condition — without them, some would still choose to do the right thing, but many others wouldn’t. As with training a pet, what happens directly after a particular behaviour will make that behaviour more or less likely to happen again. The scenes in Ballybrack, south Dublin, last week were demoralising, but sadly now all too familiar. Enraged groups, taking to the streets, protesting against plans for yet more “unvetted military-a

On the streets of Dublin last week, as the crowds gathered to say thank you and bid farewell to Shane MacGowan, I asked two very cold women beside me if they’d like a cup of tea. “Oh God, no,” said one immediately. “We’d need a wee within 20 minutes, and there’s nowhere to go near here.” “It’s fight or flight these days,” added the other lady. “And it’s a fight we’ve often lost.” Fight or flight, wee or flee; for many people — especially women — navigating our towns and citie

https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/people/arid-41321821.html

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