Chapters 19 and 20

What enthralled me about chapter 18 is the story about the volunteers of the search-and-rescue lifeboat team (their internet address is http://www.rnli.org.uk/who_we_are/news/news_detail?articleid=138304) in Courtmacsherry (picture below).

They are all men who put their lives in grave danger almost every night because of their deep-felt understanding of the duties of a citizen. All the problems have to be tossed aside, exercises need to be carried out before they all start their battle with the rough sea to save yet another life. Could anything be more self-sacrifising?

What's more the story also reminded me of the fact that nature is unpredicatble. As much as the human race tries to tame it, they'll won't succeed.

Before I forget, one volunteer was also transcribed as saying that machines are, after all, only machines and cannot, therefore, be trusted blindly. How true. This revelation made me realise that because we rely so heavily on machines ,we may not be as ingenious as people from underdeveloped countries.

In chapter 20 the ultimate disaster happened-the house had been robbed. The police came and poked their noses around the house.

As in most other developed countries in the world, Monagan wrote about the police being understaffed, demoralized and the prisons being overcrowded. In other words, the rule of law in Ireland was finished. What was most scary, though, was the fact that a great number of crimes had no apparent motive and the police was helpless when it came to tackling them. The government, on the other hand, promised the earth and moon to the citizens, but never brought the promises to life.

Paradoxically, when Ireland was a extremely poor country, the crime rate was very low. This may be explained by saying that in its new affluence the country has distanced itself from the social norms of the past.

Naturally, Monagan was terrified by the whole situation and wrote his opinion on it for a national newspaper. Result- the menacing local teenagers appeared again.

Has Ireland mutated into a country that will only break the family's heart?

Finally, the vocab-quiz:

1.gale
a) a strong wind
b) a fickeling sea
c) a snow storm

2.stalwart
a) sincere
b)loyal
c)stubborn

3. feckless person
a) lacking manners
b)lacking friends
c) lacking energy

4. rampant
a) getting worse
b) getting better
c) getting wet