An American Reflects On St. Patrick’s Day – By Guest Blogger Jennifer Maher
The Con
Today guest blogger Jennifer Maher offers yet another reason why we are fortunate to live in the United States of America.
Be safe and responsible out there today gang!
With apologies to the Irish who feel that America’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration is a trivialization of their culture, I see it as one of our better accomplishments.
To understand the progress, we need to look at the historical context. The majority of Irish immigrants were the Irish Catholics, who were generally from the lower strata of society, and they came to America to get out from under the Protestant landowners. Large Irish Catholic communities in Boston, New York and Chicago came into their own and that allowed them to start major celebrations for St. Patrick’s Day.
In the beginning, the green of St. Patrick’s Day wasn’t associated with all things Irish, the Protestants were the “Orangemen,” and to wear orange on St. Patrick’s day was a deliberate provocation.
For those who weren’t a part of it, the Irish conflict, which had social and political roots sunk deeply in the religious divide, was as incomprehensible as most Americans find the Shia/Sunni sectarian violence. My children, of some Irish descent, are growing up seeing images and hearing stories of the battles between Shia and Sunni, and they question how terrorism can be seen as a viable option. They won’t grow up with memories of IRA bombings as news headlines. I’m sure when they have children, someone else will be embroiled in some kind of struggle for recognition, acceptance, power or freedom, which will dominate the newscasts of their time.
Here and now, in America on St. Patrick’s Day, everybody can claim to be Irish, and enjoy their green beer or shamrock shake, silly hats and blinking buttons proclaiming their Irishness (even if it is Blarney) and perhaps take in a parade. Perhaps we have trivialized some of the finer points of Irish culture on this day, but in the process, we have cut aggressive, sectarian posturing down to size. That is something I am glad to raise my glass of Guinness to.
Slainte!
Ads
Denizens of the Zola System
- A Visual Identity
- Ashley Morris
- Clip It Baby
- CNN
- Dennis Machinegun Thompson
- Detroit Free Press
- Detroit News
- e3 Your LIfe
- Fox News
- Henry Mena
- Hollywood Gem
- Jewish World Review
- Jimmy Fallon
- Mick Farren
- New York Daily News
- New York Post
- New York Times
- Open Salon
- Sacred Fools Theatre
- Scoop Momma
- Skip Williamson
- SPIN Magazine
- The Blacklisted Journalist
- The Choke
- The Financially Troubled Arizona Republic
- The Los Angeles Times
- The Nearly Famous Barry Young Show
- The Purple Gang
- The Wall Street Journal
- The Washington Post
- The Washington Times
Categories
- Alpha Female/Beta Male
- Assholes Anonymous
- Character Sundays
- Detroit Stories
- G-d's Guide To Home Appliance Repair and Sports Betting
- How Drunk Do You Have To Be To Get The Joke?
- Jimmy Fallon
- Overheard in a Los Angeles Bar
- Overheard in a New York Bar
- Overheard on the Subway
- Post Urban Culture
- Quotes from How To Fix a Horserace
- Rachel Kramer Bussel
- Skip Williamson
- Sleaze Culture
- The Best of the Zola System
- The Con
- The Core Belief
- The First Essential Scary Truth
- The Magic Bullet Theory
- The Martini Chronicles
- The Second Essential Scary Truth
- The Street Hustle
- The Summer Of 1992
- The Zola System In Action
- The Zola System On The Road
- Uncategorized
- What's in Your Fridge?
Archives
- February 2017
- May 2016
- May 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- March 2014
- January 2014
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008