Rally for Immigrants
OUR beautiful country and terrific city owe so much to all of the Irish who have worked so hard and contributed so much. We must never forget them, nor forget the struggles and hardships they endured to keep the door open for their brother Irishman and sister Irishwoman.
Their many steps chosen and selected over the years have cemented footprints for others. Regretfully, too many Irish immigrants, and others, are seeing those footprints loosened by ignorance and fear.
While some in Washington, D.C, and elsewhere may wish to label all immigrants as a subsection of an “enemy grouping,” wiser heads understand that the enemy is not the hard working waitress nor domestic, nor home health aide nor laborer. There must always be a friendly welcome for the Irish in this country, and for other immigrants who wish to make a contribution to our society.
A rally for immigrants is scheduled for Saturday, October 4, 2003, at the Flushing Meadows Park near Shea Stadium in Queens, New York. One of the major points of the day is to make a stand for just and fair treatment of all immigrants in this post-September 11 world.
Immigrant workers and their allies, emulating the freedom riders of the civil rights era, will depart from eight major cities and cross the country in buses. Along the way, they will make countless stops to share their message, before converging on New York City.
The AFL-CIO is sponsoring this national rally and New York State Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin is the local chairman of the event. This rally is a necessary and strengthening step to shore up the footpath for all immigrants, Irish, and otherwise.
Regina K. Robinson
Auburndale, New York
Bush and Bono
I AM normally a strong proponent of President George W. Bush, but in this case I have to take issue with him. Why, with the war in Iraq, al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and the economy in the toilet, is he giving Bono the time of day?
Yes, AIDS is important, but so is everything that reaches the president’s office. Andy Jackson would have shot him, FDR would have lathered him with bull and Harry would have grabbed the wannabe paladin by the seat of the pants and thrown him off the White House portico.
I just want George to know it’s okay to tell people like Bono to get a real job. Make him your representative to negotiate peace in Northern Ireland. See how big a hit he is with the Reverend Paisley.
Jerry Hoosier
Cypress, California
Respect Mental Health
N response to Cathal Dervan’s line in last week’s issue, “Frank Bruno committed to lunatic asylum,” mental health facilities are as important to the betterment of society as any other medical facility. To belittle them in such a fashion is a disgrace to every intelligent Irish person.
Unfortunately Ireland has a high rate of suicide, and to trivialize mental health facilities trivializes us all. Do we stigmatize cancer victims? Do we stigmatize alcoholics?
Why, then, does Dervan stigmatize mental health? Please, don’t discourage the discouraged.
Paul Johnson
Woodside, New York
Save EastEnders!
O all digital cable subscribers of every nationality, I am prompted to write this letter in an effort to illicit help from the general public with regard to BBC America and it’s decision to abruptly cancel EastEnders.
To those readers who think this decision not to be such a big deal, move on to the next letter. To others who watch the cockney soap (or should I say watched!), I urge you to read on.
On Saturday, September 27, BBC America announced, 30 seconds prior to EastEnders, that the program about to air was the last one. Just like that, no warning and certainly no consideration for its viewers and paying customers. The reason for its abrupt departure was being blamed on poor Nielsen ratings that cited it as a show that was under-performing.
As an Irish immigrant brought up with English soap operas, I am obviously a big EastEnders fan. Over the years I have met many people who have been turned onto it due, initially, to the public channels and then, more recently to BBC America, people who have lived here all their lives and thought soap operas were epitomized by Days of Our Lives or Dallas. When Time Warner Cable years ago announced that BBC America was available on digital cable and with it, shows like EastEnders, I switched to digital and paid the extra in the knowledge that some quality programming was coming my way. Previous to this, the only choice open to people missing the quality of programs that the BBC provided were the public access channels, 13 and 21. Watching five-year-old episodes of EastEnders was better than nothing.
With BBC America, we were treated, finally, to fairly up to the minute EastEnders, it only being about a month or so behind the episodes at home. The highlight of the TV week was EastEnders.
But now, the BBC has once again decided to abandon its American viewers. Twelve months ago they tried to change the EastEnders time slot and were met with such disapproval from the public that they had to rethink their position.
A compromise was reached and EastEnders was placed on a Saturday morning. Not an ideal time by any means, but better than the time slot they had previously suggested. The viewers made the BBC sit up and take notice of their demands.
With this in mind, I urge any fans of the show to get your voices heard. There are numerous ways. There is currently a petition online to which you can add your name in protest at the cancellation of this weekly staple. The address is www.petitiononline.com. To date thousands have already logged on and aired their views.
Alternatively, log on to BBCAmerica.com to have your say, although I believe the BBC are deleting many e-mails and making it quite difficult to contact them. Finally, you can e-mail the vice president of national advertising sales for the Discovery Channel (I believe this channel owns the rights to BBC America), and that address is amy_baker@discovery.com.
I know EastEnders is only a program and I really should find something better to do with my time than whine over a show being cancelled. Without EastEnders BBC America really has not much to offer apart from endless re-runs of tedious makeover shows.
EastEnders provided something from home that has been sadly missing since I came here, a decent soap. It also served as a form of relief during times of homesickness and separation from the goings on at home. Sad but true!
Please help by letting the powers that control our ever-standard-dropping airwaves, that there are some of us who can sit still for two hours without channel surfing and that some of us still appreciate good quality television drama.
Noeleen Smith
Maspeth, New York
Keep the Ban
THE way the coverage of Ireland’s upcoming nationwide smoking ban dominated the September 17-23 issue of the Irish Voice astonished me. The editorial “Blowing Hot Air,” and the articles “Irish Split on Smoke Ban,” and “Irish Minister Faces Smoke and Ire,” provided a rough gauge of the intensity of the addiction of Irish smokers.
As a frequent visitor to Ireland, homeland of my grandmother, I’ve bemoaned the smoke-filled character of pubs, restaurants, and hotels. Live traditional music, when filtered through a thick haze of smoke, loses much of its appeal.
I hope the Irish government perseveres in its courageous enforcement of the all-out smoking ban come January 2004.
James V. Dolson
Springfield, Virginia
Looking for Band
I’M wondering if Irish Voice readers ever heard of a musical group called the Irish Brigade. They do songs about IRA volunteers and the Hunger Strikes in 1981.
They have a song called “Bobby Sands from Belfast,” and other songs like “McElwee’s Farewell” and “Father’s Blessing.” I know they used to perform in the area before September 11, but haven’t heard of them since.
If anyone knows, please contact me at 13 Winter Street, No. 4, Arlington, Massachusetts, 02474.
Jim Harrington
Arlington, Massachusetts
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