Some of Us Are Green

Nobody’s Opinion: Whew! I just got finished reading the history of Ireland. No WONDER the second verse of “Danny Boy” is so depressing!

What, you didn’t know there was a second verse? Nobody sang it last night at any bar YOU were at? Well, I’ll put them up later…if you promise to never sing them.

And by the way…do you remember where you were at last night?

It’s has always been amazing to me, that St. Patrick’s day is still celebrated all over the United States, basically as an excuse to get drunk.

In fact, I think more Americans get drunk on St. Patrick’s Day then on New Year’s Eve, because on St. Patty’s day, most die-hards start drinking green beer with their green eggs around ten a.m. in the morning and they don’t stop until the bars close, or they pass out: whichever comes first.

All Americans claim to be Irish on St. Patty’s day, by wearing green, and going around getting kissed. Huge parades are thrown to give us all an excuse for a day off.

But, that’s HERE.

I innocently wished a “Happy St. Pat’s Day” to a MND favorite of mine. It was not exactly a happy day for him, being as he…well, let him tell you himself.

Here are some of his comments that were sent to me by e-mail, a masterpiece of enjoyment…which I have copied here for all to read along with me:

“The American experience of the Irish is very, very different from that of the English.”

There are small calumnies. The potato famine was blamed on the English, whom the Irish claimed deliberately infected the crops, despite the fact that this vegetable from South America’s Andes mountains was unsuited to Irish soil and the blight affected all potato crops in Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland and all the European countries that grew it. The Irish Diaspora, also blamed on the English, were a small proportion of all the starving people of Britain and Europe that went to America. More English and Scots starved than Irish but of course that spoils the Irish wine.

But bigger things too. Ireland was independent when the Second World War broke out. Only six counties had voted to stay in Great Britain in the 20’s. The rest had been given Independence as they wanted. They decided to be neutral. They denied use of their ports to the British and American ships that were plying the Atlantic during the u-boat phase. Ships that were feeding the Irish as well as the British. The American public wasn’t told of all the American bodies washed up on Ireland’s shores. British bodies too. Thousands. Lives which could have been spared had they safe ports to go to. The Irish Government censored it. YOUR countrymen died because Ireland took the American help but didn’t want to help themselves or the American mariners, just because there were English mariners too.

The Irish tried to broker a deal with Hitler so he would not invade them. The Germans refused to deal, hoping to attack Britain via the south of Ireland-and Britain defended Ireland while the Irish Government blamed England.

It wasn’t all the Irish people so much as the government. 150.000 Irish joined the British forces to fight. But many more came across to England jus to take the jobs vacated by English men who were fighting. They stayed. Many to be ‘sleepers’ for the IRA. When Hitler suicided, DeValera, the Irish Prime Minister, sent a telegram of condolence to the German Ambassador. Can you imagine your view if the Governor of Nevada had done that?

The freedom fighters from Independent Ireland were delighted to kill innocents to pressure the Irish in Northern Ireland, who had voted in democratic elections to be part of Great Britain, to change their vote. Britain suffered hundreds of bombings by the IRA.

When the Protestant Irish of Northern Ireland had had enough of IRA terrorism, they started to fight back, killing Catholic supporters of the IRA. British Troops were sent to Ireland to protect the Catholic minority. Those Catholics shot at the troops. Amazing. Just like Iraqis today, shooting your troops who were sent to protect them.

Ireland and England are just miles from one another. Can you imagine two adjacent States in America locked into a mad undeclared, one-sided war? One state’s people planting bombs in the other state’s city centres? In the last 80 years, continuing throughout that time right up to today. Can you imagine collection tins in the streets of Britain collecting to pay for arms for one of those states? How angry you would be if you lived in the State that was being regularly bombed by terrorists from next door? Imagine people from Nevada planting bombs in Oakland, California shopping centres and malls. People in Pasadena being shot dead as they answered the door, by someone they have never met sent over from Carson City.

Then imagine Londoners supporting Nevada. Sending funds to Nevada freedom fighters. New Yorkers used St. Patrick’s Day as their main collection day for the IRA. Some 400 million dollars flowed to the IRA from New York alone. They bought a lot of dead.

Then the Nevada people want to celebrate St. Nevada’s day with green beer in San Francisco!!

If America is still in Iraq in 80 years, still being bombed, shot at, vilified, you will probably have similar attitudes and impatience. “

*******

Okay…well, that’s a whole pot of lucky charms to swallow, isn’t it? Not only was it an excellent dissertation on history from the point of view of “someone who had BEEN there, DONE that” It got me to thinking…and wanting to know more.

After all, I had sung Irish songs on St. Patty’s day for far too many years, watching everyone cry at “Danny Boy” and never understanding why.

I almost didn’t want to sing it, because it would depress everyone in the room.

And then of course they want to hear again.

So, tomorrow, Part II, in which this nobody will tell you what SHE actually found out about the Irish, and of course put in some other “opinions” of my own.

I didn’t want to spoil this very “educated” rant (some of which I left out) I also wanted to find out if anyone on the site can guess who sent this to me. Go ahead, take a guess.

In the meantime, I’m going to eat some more green popcorn and get warmed up for tomorrow. Have a “Top of the morning!”

Nobody’s Perfect: I would like to thank the “author” for this piece, (whom I shall reveal tomorrow) because I really didn’t want to write about George Bush firing eight attorney generals.

No President should be able to fire all 93 federal judges (As Clinton did) let alone eight. What were the writers of the Constitution THINKING! If one man can hire and fire the highest judges in the land, then that makes him pretty much a King.

No one is talking about THIS absurdity. So therefore, I was glad to get on to Ireland.

Nobody Knows: Okay…here’s the second verse to Danny Boy.

But when ye come and all the flowers are dying
If I am dead, and dead I well may be
Ye’ll come and find the place where I’ll be laying
And kneel and say an ave there for me

And I shall heeeeeear the softly tread of autumn
And all my grave will warm and sweeter be
For you will beeeeeeeend (remember, that’s the high note) and tell me that you love me
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me

(Repeat first verse, and then cry, and if you don’t know it, you don’t know much)

Nobody Cares; I’m crying just typing it. Please, don’t sing this on more than three glasses of beer, or the person next to you will think you’re a wimp.

It’s enough to make you want to burn your copy of “Angela’s Ashes.”