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news report
 Tuesday March 11, 2003 00:22 by Graham Caswell caswell at indigo dot ie
 What will YOU celebrate this St. Patrick's day? Britain and America have chosen March 17th as the day on which they will abandon international rule of law in favour of war. Since this day is also Ireland's national day, and for the global celebration of Irishness, Irish activists have been given a platform from which they can be heard around the world. So let the call go out: there is nothing to celebrate - wear black this St. Patrick's day. Britain and the United States have given March 17th as a deadline for Iraq to disarm or face war. Since the decision to go to war has already been made, March 17th is, in effect, the day that the pretence of legality will be abandoned. What the United States and Britain are actually saying is that war can begin at any time after St. Patrick's day. Here in Ireland we are a small, bit player in the global games that are being played - barely noticed by the powers involved. In only two ways can Ireland have any effect on events - by the statements and positions of our government (which won't happen), and by possible disruption to US military traffic through Shannon airport. Even these influences are minimal: Ireland is only one small nation among many and, even if Shannon were to be closed to US military traffic, that traffic would simply relocate elsewhere. However the date of the American and British deadline has offered another possibility for Ireland to have an influence. St. Patrick's day, March 17th is not only Ireland's national day, but a global day of celebration of all things Irish. In New York, in Moscow, in Tokyo and in many other places around the world people will parade in celebration of Irishness. From small towns in New Zealand to the cities of Europe there will be shamrock and leprechaun stickers in shop windows and people will wear green. Unlike any other national holiday, St. Patrick's day has become part of the western holiday calendar along with Halloween and Valentine's day. Nowhere is this phenomena more pronounced than in the United States, where 40 million people claim Irish ancestry. And with the green beer, and the silly hats and the shamrock come media attention. Almost every newscast, every morning show, every radio phone-in, every newspaper will have a St. Patrick day's feature on March 17th, often focusing on Ireland. In the land of corporate conformity St. Patrick's day is an automatic event between Valentines and Easter and its focus is the Emerald Isle. This is the one day of the year that it is almost guaranteed that the world's attention will be on Ireland. Except that this year we know another event that will also capture the world's attention on March 17th - the expiration of the pretence of legality and the beginning of the move to war. March 17th. and the beginning of war, St. Patrick's day and Iraq, Shamrock and suffering, leprechauns and Tomahawk missiles - all will combine this year. But imagine if, on this St. Patrick's day, Ireland told the world that war is wrong? Symbolism is important to people - often much more important than they realise. To link the Irishness of St. Patrick's day with an unambiguous anti-war message in the minds of the 40 million Americans claiming Irish ancestry could have a significant effect on American public opinion and thus on the American government's enthusiasm for war. We have been handed an opportunity to do this by the US/UK's choice of date since they have given Ireland's day as their deadline. If the activists of Ireland - the very people who use Indymedia.ie - were to make a call for people to wear black on St. Patrick's day, that would have an effect. If PANA, and the IAWM and MAMA, and the NGO Peace Alliance and other groups against the war were to make a public call for everybody to wear black on St. Patrick's day, that would have an effect. If the call went out on the websites, on the email lists, in the meetings and in leaflets for people to wear black on St. Patrick's day, then that would have an effect. And further. If, from Ireland, the call went out for people to wear black on St. Patrick's day on global Indymedia, on Adbusters, on international email lists, in phone calls and on websites - that would have an effect. If others were encouraged to pass on this call, around and around the world, that would have an effect. If the call went out from Ireland, the Emerald Isle, for people to wear black on St. Patrick's day, there would be an effect. Possibly an important effect. On March 17th are we really going to celebrate Irishness on the same day that the rush to war enters its final and most deadly phase? Are we going to celebrate the first Tomahawk missiles pounding into Baghdad? Are we going to celebrate the incineration of human beings with fuel-air bombs? Are we going to celebrate the end of international legality and rule of law? Let's jam St. Patrick's day with an anti-war message. Wear black on March 17th. |
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Comments (18 of 18)
Jump To Comment: 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Check out my post "St. Patrick's Day of Ire?", sent to soc.culture.irish,alt.fan.rawilson,alt.politics.bush,talk.politics.misc,talk.politics.mideast,alt.alcohol,alt.conspiracy. I hope readers find it thought-provoking.
I started a petition against the war but discovered to my horror that if I send that petition to the White House, I will be black-listed and never allowed into America again. Sign what you want, but with caution!!!
To Janice and others of her kind: Don't be so negative. If war breaks out, it could turn any direction: bio, chemical or nuclear. If war breaks out, at least protestors can say they played their part in attempting to stop the war, whereas people like you will have done nothing to help. If war is prevented, again protestors can say that they helped stop it. Are you really going to sit back and watch the world and your society break down around you? Or will you get up and fight against the war, try and save the next generation? I am only 12 years old and to see an adult give up hope like that kills my spirit. There are children younger than me ho are ignorant of all of this, but because of you and the war, they'll know about it soon enough! Change your ways Janice and you will be rewarded in years to come.
You people make me laugh, wear f**#ing Black. Yeah, that'll stop the war. Wake up.
Please attention to all the organizations, concerned citizens of the world promoting Peace, there is Peruvian people claiming that in Peru, the city of Cajamarca, the North American beasts, are making the Peruvian people mine for URANIUM some Peruvians miners have died, people say that some people are wearing special clothing and is not Gold what they are mining at all.
Could the Peace movement double check exactly what is going on in Peru's mining industry? people in that country are afraid to speak out!
Could the international peace movement become involved and delegate an investigation.
[email protected]
I think this is a fabulous idea! I love my country very much and feel blessed to live in a place like it, but my Irish blood runs deep. (i suppose) As long as it's been an issue I've felt strongly agianst it all. Thanks for proving there is sanity left in the world. Too bad you're some thousand miles away.
Up to a million marchers, and shown on TV all over the world. It would be great if a large black-wearing contingent could show up there.
As a United States Citizen I am sufficiently convinced that the U.S. policies are illegal and are not in accord with the viws of every one I know along with most Americans. I have made the choice that if my government decides to create more military & political imbalances in the world as policy I will rescind my citizenship & move to Ireland. Going from California weather to that of the Emerald Isle is nothing compared to living with a clean conscience. I will no longer contribute my tax dollars to death wielding so-called elected reresentatives. David O'Sianach- L.A. California-USA
wasn´t that Eamon´s joke?
You're absolutely right to pull me on this. here's my reasons:
I asked the editorial collective via the email list for permission to repost the article and there were no objections.
The reason I did this was because Newstalk106 phoned me for an interview about the idea. I mentioned indymedia.ie several times during the interview and the interviwer gave the site a good plug. However by that time the article had moved off the newswire.
So I asked permission to repost it so that people could see it when they came to the site.
Delete delete!! Must terminate. Caswell reposting identical story. Delete delete! Editor deliberately abusing newswire. Error function. Delete. Terminate.
The US Citizens against War
group are having a vigil outside the US embassy at 5pm on St. patricks day
"During the Boer War, A lot of Americans sympathized with the South African victims of British imperialism. Irish Americans found the war provided an outlet to vent their hatred and hostility for Britain. Irishmen carried the Boer flag alongside their flag of Ireland in parades from coast to coast.
Their actions served to collect funds for the boers and to ignite their fellow countrymen in outrage to Britains efforts to control others as they had long done to Ireland."
There's some growth in this idea - I got an email from the London greens about my article and they are putting out a press release on it, and Newstalk106 interviewed me last night about it.
There's also been quite a few other posts about it and mentions in various email lists, so the idea is in the air. And Dublin City Council passed a motion last week calling for white flags to be flown along the Liffey, and for a one minute "Pause for Peace" to take place at noon on St Patrick's Day.
It's a real meme with and a great opportunity to communicate with American public opinion, which is the only thing that Bush is likely to listen to.
However I don't see this idea taking off if the main Irish anti-war groups don't support/endorse/call for it - i.e. PANA, the IAWM, the NGO Alliance, etc.
Great idea, Its our day and we should use it for good if we can.
How about all meeting up and joining the march together, in black and carrying coffins etc.
The eyes of the world are on us on the 17th, lets do something
we should mark st pats day this year in black............and with silence.........for civilization as we know it has broken down........
You make a good case. And even though its my birthday I think I'll do it.