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THE #HOMETOVOTE HASHTAG has dominated social media today, with heartfelt stories of people making the trip home to vote in the marriage equality referendum.
Here, we chatted to four people who successfully made it back, and why the vote matters to them:
When did you make it home?
I flew in last Friday, after moving there in January. I was waiting on the referendum date to be announced – and as soon as it was, I booked my flight. I was always going to be here for the referendum.
Were you following the campaign from San Francisco?
The thing about it is, all my friends on social media were Yes so I hadn’t quite realised until I got home how neck and neck it might be here. I have been out canvassing and have been shocked when people would answer the door and say they were voting no.
But coming home has been great – seeing my straight friends know as much about the issues has been amazing. That’s what it’s all about.
When did you fly in?
I flew in from London this morning. The minute the campaign started my family and friends were getting a little nervous, so I said I would book my flight early on.
The plane to Dublin was packed with people, badges, and just a great, positive atmosphere. I had to explain to two Japanese tourists what exactly was going on, and they were fully supportive. There was just lots of positivity.
How did you find being away for the campaign?
I was following it over there. If anything, it is the guilt of not being around to do the heavy lifting. There were nights that people were posting on Twitter the awful stuff they were hearing out and about and it was then I would have loved to be at home for the full campaign.
How was the flight home?
I left this morning at 8am but there was a three hour delay because there was fog on the ground at Cardiff. There was no real presence of Tá or Yes on the flight back, but it was mostly connecting flights through to the States, so that’s to be expected.
Have you been following the campaign when you were in Cardiff?
I saw my local TD in the Irish Times a few days ago saying he was voting No and that really spurred me to make the trip home. It’s been interesting to see the support for Yes online, and I have been following all the hashtags when I was away.
When did you make it back from Toronto
I came back a week or two ago. I knew I was going to come back at some stage this year and I wanted to come back for the vote, so I booked at the end of April. I had to be here for it.
I knew straight away that I would vote Yes, unfortunately some of my friends in Toronto couldn’t make it back because of work.
How was it being abroad for the campaign?
I’d see a couple of things pop up on Facebook when I was away, but you still feel a little bit cut off from it. Since I’ve been home, though, you’ve got a lot more time to engage – and it’s great to be part of such a historic thing.
Written by David Elkin and originally published on DailyEdge.ie.
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You’d think that someone with a Phd would know how to give references and citations properly.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monica_Crowley
Donald thump ate my hamster
Not just yours by the look of him…
Donald Trump’s 3rd wife plagiarised Michelle Obama’s speech so this should be no surprise to any one.
His pick for Native American affairs is a supporter of the Dakota Pipeline.
@Carlin Ite: Obama wont release Leonard Peltier after 43 years in jail for the Ogala Sioux uprising
Val I am not a fan of Obama. Just because I despise trump don’t automatically assume I like the democrats.
@Carlin Ite: I gave you a like because I disagree with your dislike of Trump, I admire the logic in your comment. It shows you can count. I love Trump, bigly
One minute clip explains why the American people should remain skeptical regarding Russian hacking accusations.
“Just like with Iraq and Weapons of Mass Destruction….Our 17 intelligence agencies are lying to us.”
https://www.facebook.com/socasusa/videos/1243065655731319/
@Pat O’Dwyer: What do you mean “OUR”, Paleface?
Pat could it be that he read the Journal but that he is from the USA?
Hans he’s still preaching to the wrong nation.
@king Tut: It’s the name the authors gave to the clip. Notice the inverted commas?
@Pat O’Dwyer: Can I just add, that anyone who expects their e-mails to be private is like a naked woman in a ground floor room along a busy street who is surprised when the passes by look in. Would you e-mail you bank account log in codes to a friend? Would you?
I plagarise Percy French when I get drink at parties. This is a snowflake tread.
Soft, naive, oblivious, worried, fickle , leftie, aloof keen and empty headed
@Val Martin: No you don’t Val. Plagiarising involves passing off someone else’s work as your own. It’s simply avoided by acknowledging the source. In the case of very well known sources; it’s taken as read that everyone can reasonably be expected to know the source (eg French) even if you don’t explicitly say so on every occasion.
@Terry McClatchey: Surely you don’t expect a politician to refrain form using someone else’s ideas as their own?. Why do you think all modern political parties have the same policies? They plagarise then from each other.
If there was no plagiarism, then there would be few song writers, few after dinner speeches, I don’t know if the instant case involves coincidence or plagarism, but if it does, so what? Trump will be President , he will appoint has staff, I wish I was one of them
To be fair, plagiarism is what her job would be, take what an expert said and pass it on verbatim. No problem with this
A matter for the literati surely.
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