Belfast: "We need a solution the dead can live with," is how one Belfast resident, in a uniquely Irish way, described the prospects for long-term peace after the recent events in Northern Ireland that shook the world. His words were not such a paradox as they may seem. The graves of the over 3,000 dead stand as mute testament to the suffering on all sides that the Long War of … [Read more...] about The First Word: And Now the Good News…
First Word
The First Word: Where’s Our Famine Movie?
There is a curious irony surrounding Schindler's List and the part that the Irish have played in bringing the movie to fruition. Thomas Keneally, an Australian of Irish Catholic background, wrote the book, and Liam Neeson, from the North of Ireland, was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of the man who saved some 1,100 Jews. As Keneally wrote in a recent … [Read more...] about The First Word: Where’s Our Famine Movie?
First Word: The Belly of the Beast
Prison literature from John Mitchell's Jail Journal to the prison diary of Bobby Sands has a revered place in Irish literature and the latest addition, though written from a cell in far-off Lebanon, is easily a match for the best. I highly recommend An Evil Cradling, the story of Irish's hostage Brian Keenan and his five-year struggle for survival in various Beirut hellholes. … [Read more...] about First Word: The Belly of the Beast
First Word: Past and Future Presidents
A "carbuncled faced old drunkard," a "howling atheist," a "syphilitic lecher," a "pickpocket thief and murderer," a "crook and an anarchist." Hardly terms of denigration, but those are just some of the terms 19th century presidential candidates used against each other during their campaigns. It certainly puts terms from 1992 such as "draft dodger" and "wimp" in the kinder, … [Read more...] about First Word: Past and Future Presidents
First Word: Votes for Immigrants
With all the emphasis on registering voters in this election year isn't it time to look at the validity of granting voting rights to the hundreds of thousands of Permanent Residents living in the United States? One could argue that regardless of legal status, one should be allowed to vote if one can prove long-term residency or prove that one has paid one's taxes. The … [Read more...] about First Word: Votes for Immigrants