Save Tara!

I've never been much for activism. Usually, you see me as one of those people that read disheartening news articles about sweatshops, but it never goes beyond that. I shake my head, I feel pity, and I finish my coffee.

Earlier this summer, I found an article that had been posted many months before stating that Tara, located northwest of Dublin and the seat of Irish kings from ancient times until the sixth century A.D., was in trouble. Okay, so the planned highway isn't going to go THROUGH Tara, but it will be in close vicinity.

I'm sure it would be a nice daily experience for an Irish businessman driving past; a beautiful bit of scenery in his otherwise hectic world. Yet, it makes me think that the treasure of having this ancient site, when so many have disappeared, will be cheapened somewhat with the appearance of a modern convienience.

I wrote a polite letter to the Irish gov't, or more specifically, to Mr. Dick Roche, T.D., Minister of the Environment, Heritage, and Local Government, to state my opinion on the subject. Today I received a response as polite and formal as my letter saying that the Minister had received my letter and the contents have been noted.

Noted and what? Were they laughed at? Thrown away quickly in the garbage? I feel as though my small effort may have been in vain, but it's instilled an urge for activism in even the most insignificant of causes.

Anyone else in the mood for a peaceful protest?