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20th December 2016
12:10am GMT
One of the inescapable truths about living here – and indeed in this country – is that we just don’t get all that much sun.
But because we know there’s nothing we can do to change it, we just get on with our lives; we accept the clouds as a tradeoff for living in a city that bustles with creativity, opportunity and energy at almost every turn, and we make the very most of the sunny days when they do crop up.
After all, we’ve had more than enough practice surviving off silver linings in this country. Those clouds in the sky aren’t the only things that have cast long, dark shadows over Ireland in the past, and we have a long history of living off scraps, trying to turn our adversities into scant advantages.
Recently, though, we’ve started to realise that silver linings just aren’t enough; that the Irish underdog myth has run its course, and that there’s no reason we should follow the rest of the world when we’re well able to lead.
On Friday, we have a once-in-a-generation chance to dispel for good one of Ireland’s darkest clouds – and the importance of this, of being the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage via a popular vote, just can’t be overstated.
A ‘Yes’ result won’t end discrimination, and it won’t turn Ireland into some egalitarian utopia, of course. But it will send out a clear and concise statement, inside and outside of Ireland, that this is where we’re aspiring to get to.
It will send out a clear message, inside and outside of Ireland, that while our past may be one laden with conservatism and backwards thinking, our future is one that’s shaped by an appetite for change, progress, constant self-improvement and a right to happiness for absolutely every human being who inhabits these shores.
That’s the Ireland we believe in here at Lovin Dublin, and that’s why we’re taking this brief break from writing about chicken wings and new restaurant openings – normal service will resume shortly – to urge all of our readers to vote ‘Yes’ on Friday.
So, while you’ve heard it a million times already, we’re going to say it once more: plan your day, time your vote, follow the process, stick an X in that ‘Yes’ box, and make your voice heard on this absolutely crucial day.
Unlike the clouds that hover over our city, inequality isn’t an inescapable truth that we have to live with; it’s not a tradeoff we have to accept in return for living in a city, or a country, that bustles with creativity, opportunity and energy at every turn.
There is something we can do to change this – and change it we shall.
