LETTERS Speaking for Irish GOP
LIKE letter writer James Burke, I have written to both of New York’s Irish newspapers simultaneously to air my views on various matters.
I have not, however, been subject to one of J. Brian McCarthy’s sneering analyses, such as the one that appeared in last week’s Irish Voice letters page, for committing whatever duplicitous sin he thinks Mr. Burke is guilty of.
Three paragraphs of parsing previous correspondence is something I would normally like to avoid, but the sheer obsessive comparing of two letters to the editor, like a Talmudic scholar over his Torah, is something we rarely see in the Irish community.
Mr. McCarthy could have passed for someone without much to do, but anyone who writes the line “…in these letters (hereinafter “the letter”)” has plenty to do editing himself.
After getting through this amazing piece of literary detective work, only to find it to be the opening of a pro-Bush screed, I felt that since Mr. McCarthy took the trouble to enlighten us, as well as telling the world what is and is not good form, the readers deserve to know who the Irish American Republicans are.
Two people sign their names as chairmen of the Irish American Republicans, McCarthy and Grant Lally, a lawyer from the North Shore of Long Island who twice was defeated for Congress by Gary Ackerman, a good friend of the Irish.
Lally was a signer of Newt Gingrich’s “Contract on America.” You remember that, don’t you? End all affirmative action, stop emigration, tax breaks for the rich, etc.?
As a lifelong Democrat, I rarely agree with the Republicans politically. I must, however, acknowledge that many good men, and many good friends of Ireland, have been numbered in that party and fair play to them.
To them I say, is this who you want to present your case to the Irish community?
In closing, J. Brian, if you recall, while Senator John Kerry was not correcting a popular misconception that he had Irish ancestry, G.W. Bush, that “strong, trustworthy man” you so admire, was getting drunk driving records expunged in Maine.
If the Republican Party doesn’t mind the likes of you stinking up their name, could you consider, for the sake of our shared heritage, refraining from identifying yourselves as Irish?
Richard A. Butler
New York, New York
Washington, D.C.
Punish Kerry
THE recent editorial “John Kerry, Bad Catholic?” (April 14-20) focused on a very sensitive issue in American Catholicism.
The American Catholic church has been accused since the 1840s of attempting to establish “Rome Rule” over the faithful in this country. As a result, at the present time, bishops are extremely careful of what they say, not the least of their fears being the loss of the church’s tax-exempt status.
However, what the Voice decries is an internal matter for the church. While I cannot say what the appropriate ecclesiastical penalty for a public figure who is a Catholic who publicly, continuously and unapologetically espouses a position on an issue where the church has clearly stated a fundamental position – i.e., abortion – a penalty should be imposed.
One’s conscience is always one’s guide, but a conscience can be misinformed.
And finally, the bishops’ loss of credibility on the issue of pedophilia cannot be an absolute bar to their insisting on public fidelity to their teaching on faith and morals.
Gearoid O’Fechin
New York, New York
Leave Kerry Alone
I HAVE been reading your coverage of whether Senator John Kerry should be punished for taking Communion, even though he is pro-choice, and I feel the bishops and cardinals who single him out should be ashamed of themselves.
These people are completely out of touch with the reality of the lives of their flock. If they were married and had a daughter who got pregnant through a rape, would they want her to carry the child to term, further complicating her pain and anguish?
The church needs to come up to speed with the people, or else there won’t be a church left. And please, leave John Kerry to deal with his faith in private.
Sharon McNamara
Chicago, Illinois
Barker’s the Man
MAYBE it’s the power, but you have to give New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade executive secretary James Barker some credit for keeping the spirit of St. Patrick over the parade.
Mr. Barker got rid of the complacent AOH which was running the parade for over 200 years. He got rid of silly elections for grand marshal.
He got rid of the gays and lesbians, who cannot fight their way out of a paper bag. He got rid of publishing the line of march in the so-called Irish American newspapers. Love him or hate him, he gets the job done.
John Kelly
Brooklyn, New York
Remembering Bernadette
BERNADETTE McAllister has passed away, but her love for her family will live on.
I first met Bernie at a dinner party for Bernadette Devlin at Owen and Pearl Rodgers’ home. We both went outside to smoke, and spoke about how she came to be in this country.
What amazed me as she told her story was that she didn’t seem bitter about all the twists and turns her life had taken. She just wanted everything to be comfortable for her family.
She voiced concerns about her children adjusting to American life as they had become so Canadian. Yet it wasn’t long until Bernie was bragging about how well “our Sean” was doing in baseball, and “our Nicola” is doing so well.
Bernie was ever so proud of her young men. Gary and Jamie were striving towards the American dream, even while fighting deportation. She celebrated 25 years of marriage to her childhood sweetheart Malachy, and always spoke of how they pledged to keep the family together.
Whenever her mom came to visit, Bernie was eager to hear news of her family back home. And her circle of friends here grew.
She always made people feel they were important to her. She seemed to have a sixth sense about what troubled others, and always tried to boost a person’s spirits.
I have many fond memories of Bernie. She was a good wife, mother, daughter and friend. Bernie McAllister was my friend, and I shall miss her.
Margaret O’Keeffe
Jersey City, New Jersey
The Loony Bin
MORE of letter writer Jerry Hoosier, please! He’s a real scientific oddity. Previously it had been thought impossible to cross-breed the California fruitcake with the Midwest redneck loony.
Jerry, you are not right, you are a right wing loony! Nobody is asking the president of the United States to mediate anything.
There is already an agreement in Northern Ireland, and all the president has to do is ask his friend Tony Blair to move it forward with full democracy and fair policies for all. At the moment that is not happening, and it should be a source of concern.
Jerry should get in the cage with the cobra and the mongoose. I guarantee they’d be afraid to bite!
Robert Schauder
Flushing, New York
Enough Celtic, More Irish
THOUGH Cathal Dervan professes his love for the game of hurling, why didn’t he, or indeed anyone in the Irish Voice, mention the recent All-Ireland club championship finals on St. Patrick’s Day. Then again, none of the teams involved were from Leinster.
Instead we were treated to Dervan’s weekly Celtic soap. I am a Celtic fan, but enough already with this old news.
Mr. Dervan, get your mind out of the cul de sac that it’s in, and give us a broader picture of Irish sport, please.
Joe Ryan
Oyster Bay, New York
|
