According to Roger Harrison (letters 11 June 07), the Salthill Air Show is a celebration of aviation. How come then the organisers only wanted 'military related exhibitors' to grace their show? And why, if it is only aviation the organisers want to celebrate, do they regularly present the pilots of the warplanes as 'Top Guns' in their publicity material? (See: 'Chance to meet Top Guns of Salthill Air Show' - Galway Independent 14 June 2006)

Mr Harrison would have us believe the Salthill show has nothing to do with war. Did he not see the boast in the national media by one of the US Thunderbird pilots that their F16 killing machines would only perform combat manoeuvres over Galway Bay? So, the same pilots doing the same manoeuvres they do in Iraq when they kill men, women and children and this has nothing to do with war? Noam Chomsky in his letter of support to the Galway Alliance Against War wrote that these air shows can be 'utterly grotesque'. Is this not utterly grotesque?

Maybe we should organise a celebration of motor vehicles and exhibit one of the Nazi mobile gas chambers. Or hold a celebration of electricity and line the prom with electric chairs. Where is the difference, the purpose of all is to kill?

Did Mr Harrison not notice the Thunderbirds' propaganda about Ireland being part of the great 'war on terror' - a euphemism for the illegal invasion of Iraq? An invasion, that the Australian Foreign Minister recently admitted was for the protection of oil resources.

Mr Harrison echoes the call of FG Councillor Padraig Conneely for more public funding for this obscene air show. Did not FG Councillor John Mulholland describe the event as a 'great money spinner', did not RT?'s Teresa Mannion report that ?1 million had been made at this year's event? Why don't those who profit so substantially put their hands in their deep pockets?

And why don't those city councillors, so concerned with the profits of the business community, provide public money for free clean water for all the people of Galway? Why should we be penalised financially for the incompetence of the un-elected officials residing in city hall?

Yours etc,

Niall Farrell,

PRO,

Galway Alliance Against War

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