Seanad debates

Thursday, 22 November 2018

10:30 am

Photo of Niall Ó DonnghaileNiall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Strangely enough I also want to talk about an ex-British soldier. I am sure the Acting Leader, political animal that he is, will be familiar with Harry Leslie Smith who finds himself gravely ill in hospital in Canada. For colleagues who do not know - I am sure they are a minority - Harry was born in 1923 in abject poverty in a time before the NHS in England. He fought in the Second World War as an RAF pilot. Even at this advanced stage of life in his 90s, he is the most active of activists in international solidarity and social justice, supporting the plight of refugees all around the world. He has gone to visit refugees and also taken on the culture and ideology that tries to stop these poor unfortunate people from travelling to sanctuary and safety wherever in the world they are. I became familiar with him via Twitter because even in his 90s he was as vocal as he could be about the rising tide of fascism in Europe and North America. He was still prepared at this stage in his life, as he was in his 20s, to take a stand against it and encourage all of us to take a stand against it. He is gravely ill in Canada. He was just about to take part in another visit to refugee camps and unfortunately his son, John, is now using Harry's Twitter to tell us about the day-to-day situation they find themselves in as a family.

Harry Leslie Smith has been a champion of the NHS in Britain.He has alerted the British people to the impending destruction and dismantling of that most precious and inspiring creation of the British state and people. The strange thing is that his Twitter handle is @harryslaststand but I am sure this is not his last stand. We should all follow his example and take that stand for what he believes in and has stood for, his principles and his approach to life.

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