Letters

Letters from Irish Voice readers

Letters

June 18, 2008

Celtic Tiger Decline

I HAVE been reading all the stories out of Ireland about the decline of the Celtic Tiger and the problems facing the construction industry over there. It’s sad, but of course it was inevitable.

Clearly, in the months and years to come Ireland is going to take a pounding, just like we are here and in the rest of the world, but over there the pain always hurts more. So I dearly hope that the Irish government representatives over here and in Ireland are taking note of the upcoming changes, and how they will affect the lives of the people.

In short, we’re going to have Irish citizens wanting to come to the U.S. to get on their feet economically, but right now there’s really no legal way for them to do so. This is an issue that the Irish government must give urgent priority to.

I am a legal resident of the U.S. for the past six years. I married an American citizen (for love, not the green card!)

Being in this country is the best move I ever made. I go home to Ireland, and I enjoy visiting family members and friends, but it’s not the Ireland that I remember from my youth.

Everyone is caught up in material pursuits. Even folks living in the countryside are obsessed with the model of their mobile phone, or what kind of car they’re driving.

Of course most of the progress that Ireland has made is good, but as your columnist John Spain has pointed out on many occasions, something has been lost along the way – the beautiful, innocent Ireland of old.

I would hate to see a whole generation of Irish having to live out here illegally as they grapple with the downturn in the Irish economy. That’s a disaster waiting to happen, unless the Irish government does something about it.

We have heard the idea of reciprocal visas for Americans wanting to go to Ireland. This sounds like an excellent compromise, a win-win for all sides involved.

I’d just like to state my support for the Irish illegals living in the U.S. It can’t be easy, but please hang in there because I’m sure that help will be on the way, if not from the Irish government then from the new occupant of the White House, as both of the candidates are on record as saying that they favor comprehensive immigration reform – even if John McCain is somewhat backtracking now.

The Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform has highlighted the plight of the illegals beautifully, and I hope they continue to march on Washington in the near future when the new president takes office.

John McCarthy
Glens Falls, New York

State Department Awake

THE “Intelligencer” column in the May 7-13 issue on the efforts of President George W. Bush and former Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern to attain 10,000 E-3 special visas for Irish citizens, similar to those granted to Australia and others, made for interesting reading.

The inference was that former State Department Secretary Richard Armitage stated that these special visas were reserved for those friendly to, and supportive of America.

With the growing anti-American vitriol coming from Western Europe in particular, it is comforting to see that our State Department is wide awake, even if our president still seems to have a “soft spot” for the Irish.

N. Dolan
Hilton Head Island,
South Carolina

We’ll Miss Hillary

NOW that the primary season is over, it’s safe to say that Irish American interests have well and truly lost out, as Niall O’Dowd pointed out in his “Periscope” column in last week’s issue.

Senator Hillary Clinton would have been the greatest president for Irish Americans ever. She and her husband finally put Ireland on the map in Washington, D.C., a place that prior to their arrival in the nineties was solely obsessed with all things British.

I am proud to have campaigned for Hillary in Pennsylvania, where I live. The reaction was so strong in her favor that I can’t see Barack Obama making any headway here at all.

I have nothing against Obama, by the way. He seems capable, but I truly worry about his lack of experience on the national stage.

As far as Irish issues go, O’Dowd has pointed out on many occasions the lack of response from the Obama campaign to the Irish. Perhaps they don’t understand how much of a difference we can make.

Look at what Ireland did for President Bill Clinton. He took an interest, acted as an honest broker for all sides, and championed one of the most successful peace accords ever. It was a great foreign policy success for Clinton, and he never forgot the Irish as a result.

Hillary would have been the same. I would have seen her as being a staunch promoter of economic development in the new Northern Ireland, much more so than any other candidate that will take the White House. It’s Ireland’s loss.

I wish Obama well. I hope he starts taking an interest in things Irish, because it will be good for him and his candidacy, just as it was good for the Clintons.

In the meantime, I’m mourning the loss of Hillary, but I hope she always stays involved in Irish affairs and issues. Given the genuine interest she’s shown in the past, I feel quite positive that she will, and that’s a good thing for all of us.

Maureen Tighe
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Hooray for Looneys!

THE Irish Voice letters page is like a box of chocolates. One never knows.

A recent plum was from writer Bill Ashe, a tribute to the rhetorical prowess of fearless Bob O’Sullivan, the Dean Swift of Bantry. That was nice of Bill. Everyone should have a friend.

But I correct Bill’s misunderstanding that I have an interest in Bob’s traveling agenda. So, if Nutsy Fagan hooks up in California with Denny Dimwit, there is no need to tell. I certainly won’t ask.

And three cheers for the loony left.

Tom Mahoney
Buffalo Grove, Illinois

What Climate Change?

ENVIRONMENT Minister John Gormley, aided and abetted by Ray McGrath from Met Eireann, nicely ratcheted up the irrational hysteria on global warming with their new report forecasting catastrophic changes to our weather.

To cool things down a bit I recommend that they read another new report by a group of 24 independent scientists called “Nature, not Human Activity, Rules the Climate”(www.sepp.org).

This report concludes, “ It is regrettable that the debate on climate change, fueled by the errors and exaggerations in the reports of the IPCC (the UN’s Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change), has strayed so far from scientific truth. It is an embarrassment to science that hype has replaced reason in this debate.”

Dick Keane
Dublin, Ireland

Russert, R.I.P.

I LEARNED with great sadness about Tim Russert’s passing.

While familiar with his Meet the Press presentation, for me he truly shone as a frequent guest on Morning Joe, the MSNBC morning show hosted by Joe Scarborough.

Even though he always had the inside track, and knew more than he was letting on, his contributions were laced with self-effacement, wit, brilliant insight and humor. He came across on those frequently dim mornings as a shining light in a jungle of electronic mediocrity.

A brilliant light has been quenched.

Ni bheidh a leitheid aris ann.

Seamus Ryan
New York, New York

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