Growing up in Cork, one of the highlights of the school year was the visit from the Lord Mayor.
We used wait with bated breath for the arrival of our first citizen, not out of civic pride, but because he or she would inevitably issue a dictat to the headmaster that we were not to be given any homework that night.
The political persuasion of the politician was never noticed, only that it was someone important who - on that day, out of all of the schools in Cork – had visited ours, and given us more time to watch TV that evening. We were easily bought.
We never had angry protests outside of our school gate. There may have been the odd picket over the years, but that was mandated strike action caused by whatever was annoying the teachers at that time.
I am not quite sure what my younger self would have made of vocal protests over visiting politicians, but I suspect they would have been laughed off, or their colourful language sniggered at.
Would the visit be remembered for the lack of homework, or the school being propelled into national headlines?
There is no media agenda here in highlighting what happened to Michael D Higgins or Joan Burton in the past fortnight. All that has happened is that videos shot by the protesters themselves have been brought to a wider audience, and their behaviour exposed as what it is.
There is always a right to protest. Politicians elected themselves to office on promises made to an electorate - and face the wrath of their constituents because of decisions they make.
However, I am not sure how any cause would be furthered by anyone being lambasted and called a "midget" or a "traitor" by those at the school gate.
By meeting politicians in such a setting, it's a hope that someone in those classrooms may be inspired to enter public life. But why would they do that, when they know that the bullies they have to avoid in the playground may pursue them into office?
Politicians have thick skins. The children they visit do not.
An abusive protest at a school can never be justified. Those who think they are furthering their cause by showing children such hatred really need to rethink why they are there in the first place.
