I was quite taken by remarks made during the week by Bishop Comiskey concerning the rights of parents. The Bishop - who clearly knows what 'parenting' is all about - offered the opinion that fathers and mothers would be entitled to give a child a cuff in the ear or perhaps threaten them with a wooden spoon if they were being 'obnoxious'. Now, I thought, this is just the sort of stuff we haven't been hearing from the clergy in a long time. Some of those other bishop fellas must be feeling a bit inhibited by all these stories of the Christian Brothers brutalising people and various priests being involved in child sex abuse scandals. But not Bishop Comiskey. No, he will not be swayed one inch from supporting the use of the wooden spoon as a means of intimidating children, no matter what historical atrocities it brings to mind. This is good stuff. What's more I think the Bishop's approach should be extended into our dealings with adults. For example, if I thought Bishop Comiskey was being obnoxious, then I should be free to give him a cuff in the ear. And if that didn't seem to have the desired effect then I could threaten him with a wooden spoon. Come to think of it, that'd be a far more even match than the average parent taking on the average ten-year-old. One thing's for sure though: Bishop Comiskey won't be around to pick up the hospital bills when a cuff in a vulnerable child's ear bursts an eardrum or somebody's eye gets taken out with a wooden spoon. Maybe he should be charged now (with incitement to violence).

The same could be said for the poisonous wretches in the Liberal-Democratic party who distributed anti-Labour literature which had clear racist overtones in the run up to the recent local election in the East End of London. In doing so, Paddy Ashdown's party contributed to the election of a National Front councillor - a sorry day's work indeed, and one which they may rue to a far greater extent in a few years' time. A bandwagon has begun to roll the occupants of which will attempt to exploit the hopelessness and disillusionment which is endemic in the areas of British society hardest hit by unemployment. It is time for sensible people everywhere to show solidarity, to embrace across ethnic lines, and to begin to fight the real enemy - a system which puts the caprices of capital before the rights and dignity of people.

Finally, on the subject of fascism, it is worth saying that the people who asked self-styled Nazi rehabilitator and fan of Adolf Hitler, David Irving, to speak at universities in Ireland are guilty of being both stupid and insensitive. They may have thought it was a jolly jape but the man's ideas stink and to give him a friendly platform is merely to encourage him. If he does make the trip, rather than inflating his importance by adopting the kind of violent reaction he'll relish, let the pillock speak to an empty hall. If no one is listening it doesn't matter a fuck what he says.

• Niall Stokes