No VP for Hill
BACK in March, I wrote to the Irish Voice regarding the Obama phenomenon, and as each state’s primary yielded more and more to the young senator, my predictions on every count were accurate.
Senator Hillary Clinton’s arrogant assumption (and the Irish Voice’s endorsement of her) that she would be the presumptive presidential nominee for the Democrats just shows how blinkered this candidate has been.
And even in her coded speech late in the night on June 3 at Baruch College, she hinted that a vice presidential position would be the best way forward for her party.
For Obama to become the first black president in a very white house, he needs to wisely choose his running mate, someone with expansive foreign policy experience, a personality free of personal
baggage, comprehensive diplomatic skills and a person of deep integrity amidst the spineless majority in Washington. DC.
By choosing Clinton, Obama could unravel much of his base support and alienate those anti-Clintonites, even causing disillusioned democrats to vote for McCain or desist from voting at all. This would be the nightmare scenario.
Who he decides to choose as a running mate will dictate whether he manages to sway some Republican voters and makes it to the White House in a presidential flourish, or simply embraces defeat.
There will be massive pressure on him from all angles to choose Clinton, but he must abstain from this temptation and go beyond the Clinton brand.
If he really stands for change, choosing a fresh name as a running mate will yield magnificently ripe political and presidential fruit.
Let’s hope wisdom directs his decision, and not fear.
A.P. Ó Máille New York, New York
Seal the Borders
WHY is immigration not a major issue in this election? Our border areas are plagued with crime, vandalism, and discarded trash. A “guest worker” program would act as a magnet attracting bigger problems. Such a program would include guest terrorists, guest drug dealers, guest gang members, Hezbollah guests and millions of poor guests.
We have not been successful in dealing with our own poor. Do we need millions more?
In addition to the above, we are importing diseases that were once nearly eradicated here but are now on the way back — TB, leprosy, polio, dengue fever, malaria, hepatitis and typhoid. Some of these have even entered our blood supply.
Our government, in spite of the eyewash about fences and guardsmen on the border, is, with the cooperation of the Mexican government, encouraging illegal entry of aliens rather than protecting the American citizen.
Is their purpose the destruction of the middle class? Is it the destruction of the meaning of “citizenship” so that we can be merged into a regional government like the European Union? See www.jbs.org.
Our borders should be sealed, yet the revolution continues.
Lawrence Burke Roslyn, New York
Two Nuts in a UFO
I THOUGHT I had read everything until I read the letter from Bill Ashe (“Exposing U.S. Faults,” May 22-28).
Apparently there is a bigger fool out there than regular letter writer Robert O’Sullivan, who by the way I am convinced is really a 12-year-old girl, masquerading as a delusional middle-aged Irish male.
Ashe and O’Sullivan have the combined comprehension, retention and maturity level as that of Cheech and Chong. According to Mr. Ashe, I engage in “blind patriotism” because I had the audacity to respond to inflammatory, insensitive, ignorant and provocative rhetoric from Mr. O’Sullivan in a previous letter to the Irish Voice.
Although I agree with O’Sullivan’s right to free speech, I do not agree with the content of his verbal vomit. Sorry, Mr. Ashe, but I do have a problem with O’Sullivan disrespecting and insulting America’s war dead, and passing off Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Cong as “gallant freedom fighters.”
Have you ever read any of O’Sullivan’s letters, Mr. Ashe? Vietnamese Communism is a better way of life? Why then have thousands and thousands of Vietnamese risked their lives to flee Vietnam? If Vietnam opened its borders today and let anyone leave who wanted to, there would be no one left besides the ruthless, murdering government.
You either have a short-term memory problem, or you just choose to selectively edit mine and other letters, Mr. Ashe, taking them completely out of context.
I have clearly stated that the U.S. has made mistakes, and I in no way, shape or form agree with everything in this country. But I try to emphasize the good and the positive.
Mr. O’Sullivan has never even remotely touched upon the foreign aid and humanitarian efforts the U.S. undertakes. These efforts are second to none on the planet.
Mr. Ashe obviously likes to dwell on all that is negative in America, and likes to find fault at every turn. The U.S. is the most transparent democracy in the world. How do we hide our faults?
The U.S. is constantly under a microscope. The world court of public opinion and the 24/7 news media incessantly scrutinizes and dissects every more our government and military makes. What Ashe and O’Sullivan say is nonsensical!
Mr. Ashe, you are obviously a self-righteous, I’m okay, you’re okay, touchy-feely liberal weirdo who only eats organic. Go hug a tree, save a bunny and then pick up your friend O’Sullivan in a UFO.
Give me a break, you clowns! God Bless America, Ireland and our troops!
Michael LeRoy Enfield, Connecticut
Stop the Bashing
I HAD to read Thomas O’Liathain’s letter “God Save the Queen” (May 21-27) several times before I got the gist of it. It seemed contradictory on some points.
First of all, why don’t we put an end to Catholic and Pope bashing? It is getting boring and repetitious!
I think that Thomas has been listening for too long to Ian Paisley, who spouts vitriolic hate against Catholics and the Pope in particular.
The Pope recently visited the U.S. and received a wonderful welcome from people in all walks of life, from the president to the man in the street. Thank God for the open-mindedness and tolerance of the people in the U. S. They recognize that the Pope preaches peace and tolerance and love.
Did Thomas see the recent picture in the papers of Paisley and Martin McGuiness shaking hands and smiling at each other? Who knew Ian could smile?
Perhaps he is mellowing now that he is retiring and getting older and wiser. Maybe this will happen to Thomas in the near future!
What does Thomas mean when he says that the Republic did nothing for the Irish Catholics in Ulster? On the one hand he praises England for all they did for Ireland (taking them out of the bog), and then he says the Republic did nothing for the Irish in Ulster?
Weren’t the Ulster people under the benevolent and powerful umbrella of the English? Maybe the Brits were not so good to the Catholics in the North.
There were rumors that they were not allowed to own homes so they couldn’t have a vote, and denied jobs based on their schools(Catholic). Can this be true? It gives a different picture of England.
On a more pleasant note, I must say I just love Cormac MacConnell’s articles. Recently he mentioned cycling through my home town in Co. Roscommon.
I closed my eyes and rode along with him (hoping to avoid any stray cows on the road). I could even smell the smoke from the turf fires along the way.
Thanks for the memory, Cormac! Slan agus beannacht!
Mae Doyle Sullivan Media, Pennsylvania