Soldiers Are Real Heroes

I am writing in regard to the “Stop the War” photo and caption which appeared in the September 28-October 4 issue. The photo illustrated a “day of action” at Shannon Airport over the war in Iraq by politicians and peace activists.

It is clearly apparent from the Irish Voice’s many articles and photographs which seek to glorify the Clintons and Kennedys, that the paper is a voice only for the liberal Democrats, with nothing good to say about the current administration. Perhaps the following will be of interest, if only as balance to that photo/message.

Two days prior to the action day in September, my family and I were awaiting boarding at Shannon. As it happened, a large contingent of U.S. Marines were being rotated back from Iraq through Shannon.

When they passed through the waiting area there was loud, sustained applause from the waiting passengers for our troops. Many of us also had the pleasure of speaking with some of them in the terminal shops.

We have never seen a finer group of young, strong dedicated men and women. These are the people who put their lives on the line to help defeat worldwide terror, not the smiling Irishmen in the aforementioned photo.

Which group — the Irish politicians/activists or the soldiers — do you think better deserves our support, and indeed our continuing prayers for their safety and success?

As dual citizens of Ireland and America, we were (and are) extremely proud of our military personnel, and equally dismayed at our Irish cousins. Many of these people seem to prefer opposing those willing to fight against terrorism, while they remain (since World War II) neutral and safe through the actions of other nations.

May our great country always have leaders who do what is necessary for peace, and not what is just popular in the media.

Merrill Russell, Troy, Michigan

Rip-Off Alaska

I just finished your piece on the prices of supermarket items in New York and Co. Carlow (“Rip-Off U.S., 0r Rip-Off Ireland?,” October 5-11), and I must express my feelings about the article’s last statement about New York being one of the most expensive cities to live in the U.S.

I live in North Pole, Alaska, a small town about 100 miles south of Fairbanks, Alaska. We are paying over $3 a gallon for gas, $5 a gallon for milk (a local distributor), and I won’t go in to the price of vegetables now that we are going into winter.

I do understand your gripes, although I am not familiar with the pay scales in Ireland. However, unless one works for the oil industry (i.e., B.P., Exxon, Aliesca), the wages per hour here are not very much different from other parts of the U.S.

We also have to deal with the price of fuel oil, which is over $3 per gallon. Any time a consumer mentions the cost of something, he/she is reminded that the cost to ship anything to Alaska is much higher than elsewhere in the contiguous 48 states.

Thanks for letting me vent about living in a place where everything has to be delivered the hard way!

Karen Ahern LeFlore, North Pole, Alaska

Nuke Brosnan

According to “Page 2” in the issue of September 28-October 4, Pierce Brosnan is campaigning against nuclear weapons because of his feelings about “choices being made by the U.S.” Duh.

But for America’s nuclear arsenal, Brosnan and the corner boys of his generation would today be ordering their pints in Russian.

All liberals fit under one of two rubrics — dumb and dumber.

Thomas F. Mahoney, Buffalo Grove, Illinois

Bono Isn’t Divine

I would like to comment on the “Page 2” trashing of Rush Limbaugh’s comment on Bono in last week’s issue.

The report was only half-right. I was listening to Limbaugh when he said Bono had a mistress.

However, in 15 minutes he apologized and said he had been misinformed. The next day in response to a caller on the subject he again apologized.

My main purpose in writing is not to defend Limbaugh but to question the Irish Voice’s hyper-protective mentality and cult of worship of Irish celebrities. The paroxysm of rage in this instance was remarkable.

Mr. Bono is a celebrity but is not a divine person. Worship should be reserved for the transcendent. Let’s not demean worship by offering it to an earthly creature.

The First Commandment states this emphatically, “I am the Lord your God. You shall not have strange gods before me.”

John Rogers, Voorhees, New Jersey

Dervan Happy Now?

Cathal Dervan must be one happy man. Brian Kerr, a good manager, has been fired from the Irish soccer team, just as Dervan wished for since his beloved Mick McCarthy wasn’t up to the task.

It’s not Kerr’s fault that the Irish team stinks, and can’t perform when asked. He can’t control what these millionaires do when they get on the field, yet he’s been branded the fall guy when the team just isn’t up to scratch.

If Kerr had the players that McCarthy had at his disposal it would be a different story. And though Dervan claims to be a “proud Irishman,” there’s nothing at all nice about the way he has continually put the knife into Kerr’s back.

Paul F. Murphy, Atlanta, Georgia

Spain Should be Ashamed

John Spain’s column “Lack of Unity on Unity” in the October 5-11 issue really made me burn. It was filled with his “analysis” of why he believes that Ireland will not be reunited in his lifetime.

Although he argued many points, he offered no data to back up his analysis except on the differential birthrate issue, and even then he cited a British census!

His piece was also filled with cheap shots toward Sinn Fein, such as “those well known experts in Stalinist economics,” and toward Republicans in general. He didn’t even bother to conceal his disdain for Republicans.

Spain stated, “The fact is that after 30 years of IRA mayhem, the North is an economic mess.” Even if you don’t agree with IRA tactics, a reasonable person should admit that they were fighting a war to reunite their country which was divided by the Brits against the will of the GREAT majority of the Irish. A war which, not incidentally, was started by the British that continues to this day.

Why didn’t Spain mention anything about how the entire system in the North has always been and still is stacked to keep Catholics unemployed, marginalized and without political power? Why no mention of collusion between the police, the British military and Loyalist gangs/death squads?

As outrageous as that column was, Spain’s follow up in the next week’s issue, “The IRA Property Empire” is an even greater outrage.

Again, no proof is offered for his accusations. Spain simply repeated allegations made by British and Irish officials (a former Special Branch man has no credibility to me) which have subsequently been proven to be lies.

The column is loaded with anti-Nationalist statements and slurs against Sinn Fein members and their leadership Spain refers here to “horrific violence from the IRA,” completely distorting reality. The facts are that anti-Catholic violence by Protestant Loyalists has far surpassed incidents by Catholics or Republicans.

If I had the time or desire to do Spain’s job for him, I would spend the next few hours pulling real data with which to refute his distorted opinion piece. Statements such as “We all know the IRA criminal network has become a highly sophisticated operation.”

Again, proof? We don’t all know that. That’s his opinion. And Spain’s use of the phrase “Sinn Fein/IRA” doesn’t help anything either.

Here’s a subject for Spain — why not write about the continued Loyalist violence/infighting and the lack of decommissioning on the Loyalist/Unionist side?

Spain has become nothing but a mouthpiece for British securocrats, their lackeys in the Irish government (Bertie Ahern and Michael McDowell come to mind) and Loyalist/Unionist interests. He really should be ashamed of himself as a journalist and an Irishman.

Jane Enright, Bronx, New York