NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUEIsle of Man Newspapers website carries a story about Mec Vannin submission on DHA proposals for Port Checks.?Mec Vannin hits out at plan to check ID on boat?The full submission is due to be published on the MV Facebook shortly so I won?t reproduce it here.Mec Vannin are caustic about the proposal suggesting it falls far short of what has been portrayed by Juan Watterson MHK and rather than acting as a proper entry mechanism to our country will just by a costly inconvenience.Celtic League share a similar view adding only that this seems very much an ?electioneering – fig-leaf? for Juan Watterson the Minister following the DHA and Police failures over the ongoing wave of burglaries.As usual with anything that appears on-line about MV, where comments can be added, some caustic critics (people to who you just have to say the word nationalist to spark a response) have popped up and here?s where it gets interesting.The paper generally has a ?thumbs up/down? facility under comments and at present the ratio in favour of MVs stance is over 2 to 1. In many instances with the greatest criticism being reserved for those most critical and disparaging about MV.Now this is not a scientific assessment by any stretch of the imagination but it is a good litmus test of public opinion on the matter. Indeed the press themselves have in the past used it as such.Already some of the critics (all of whom hide behind keyboard anonymity) are crying foul saying MV has turned out all its members to vote. The same people however say MV doesn?t have members on other occasions and they seem blissfully unaware that quite a few MV members eschew reading either newspapers from Johnson Press or there online versions!Another thing occurred to me. I wonder how many of these ?keyboard warriors? cowering anonymously on the internet and pouring out bile take the time to comment on government documents themselves.At least Mec Vannin gets its act together and comments on this and other items such as recent planning issues and the Douglas promenade scheme ?indeed throughout the year it attempts to ensure a response to all social impact, environmental, political and fiscal consultations etc.It?s easy to criticise but on this occasion the critics appear to have hurled abuse only for it to land on them. So who is out of touch – not Mec Vannin it seems!Photo: Juan Watterson ? using the port checks issue as an election stunt because of failures by DHA and Police over ongoing spate of robberies.BERNARD MOFFATTIssued by: The Celtic News20/01/16THE CELTIC LEAGUE INFORMATION SERVICE.The Celtic League established in 1961 has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It promotes cooperation between the countries and campaigns on a range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights human rights abuse, military activity and socio-economic issues (voir le site) this!