Letters

Americans, Make a Change!

WELL, we have suffered through the Republican war convention and survived, and now it is walk the walk time for Irish Americans and Americans in general. We have come the long full circle from post Vietnam and the similarities in reaction and overall inaction among Americans is astounding.

Having watched, read and listened to John Kerry and his admirable protests of Vietnam, I have to say that my admiration for him has reached even higher than I would have expected. 

On the other hand, we have a repeat of the Nixon, Colson, O’Neill, Rumsfeld, Buchanan shenanigans, except this time the players are Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld — he’s back again — and the unfortunate Powell, a man this writer and most of America once admired.

America, this is your chance to rid the world of one fundamentalist while we bring another to justice under the auspices and with the help of the world community, which we are all a part of whether we like it or not. 

It is time to let our sick children and others reap the potential rewards from stem cell research and other advances that should not be held up due to an inborn biblical view that serves no purpose. It was that same type of radical thinking that made it easier to score a bag of weed rather than a condom in Catholic-bullied Ireland up until recent years. 

We need at least four years of Kerry/Edwards and not four more wars from George W. Bush. We need to understand and respect other cultures. We need to engage in dialogue with our enemies and at least meet them half way at the bargaining table. It worked with the Brits and the IRA and the ANC and the Afrikaners, just to name a few. Anything is better than willy nilly cluster bombing innocent children and civilians. We can start, for example, by not buzzing B52s over Mecca and Medina and at least giving the Palestinians as many billions of our tax money that Zionist Israel gets. We can and we must get way from the lies and anger that this administration has bombarded us with.

Simply put, the last few years have been a disaster and it isn’t going to change with Bush and his cronies in power. They can use the September 11 tragedy to fool some people, but in most cases informed people can see through the falsehoods. 

It is time for the fundamentalist Bush to be put out to pasture along with all of his corrupt buddies. I’m sure Halliburton or the House of Saud won’t see them short of a few dollars.

America once again please become a responsible participant in world affairs. Vote for change, and this time we’ll be keeping a closer eye on Jeb and his balloting boxes.

Dessie Coogan 

Astoria, New York

Democrats Need Homework

I WOULD like to applaud the Republican Party for paying such attention to Irish affairs at their recent convention. From what I read in the Irish Voice, there was a speaker who focused on the Irish on the convention floor, two Irish parties, and a very detailed GOP platform statement on Ireland.

Contrast this to the Democratic convention Boston, where the Irish really didn’t figure at all. Maybe this lack of interest in other areas as well is why John Kerry is doing poorly in the polls. Democrats need to do their homework.

Jane McClennon

Dobbs Ferry, New York

The Clowns Are Here

IN another place and time, Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, proposed that the English aristocracy which had a predilection for succulent meat should be provided with plump babies to eat from the overproduction of Irish peasantry, thus solving a dual problem. 

I think that proposal can be updated to modern times in America. There are of course a couple of preconditions which fortunately are almost already established. 

First, we need a couple of wars with an appetite for young men. Secondly, we need a large politically, undereducated class who cannot comprehend what is going on. 

Thirdly, we need a two-tier economy with little opportunity for the young and a minimum wage which is less attractive than the military. Here we have a virtuous circle where the poor will be pushed into the military. The military which is made up of sincere people will welcome them and make them feel significant. 

If there is any shortfall, we can supplement with non-citizen immigrants and tell them it is an opportunity. After all, thousands of Irish immigrants got this opportunity on both sides at Bull Run. 

They could be granted citizenship, especially after they are dead, with no ill effects to the nation. All this will create a “great disturbance in the force” and distraction in society. 

Under cover of patriotism the corporate elite can work their magic. The FCC can consolidate the media so the message can be streamlined and simplified. 

Large corporations can consolidate everything from the family farm to community hardware stores. Owners can become fewer and workers plentiful and fearful of Pakistani outsourcing. In an atmosphere of fear, gun control will become unpopular and civil liberties a crank complaint.

The top 3% can consolidate power and wealth, and interpret what is happening for ordinary folks. But no one will notice. In fact they will be grateful for the vision provided. 

The poor and middle class who are busy working low income jobs, fighting the wars and mourning the dead will be too mesmerized to complain. To maintain sanity they will cling to the leader and insist that “not for nothing” their kids died and provide the fodder and support for the next conflict. 

As the song says — there ought to be clowns. Send in the clowns! Don’t bother, they’re already here!

In conclusion, I must cite the unlikely source for most of these ideas: an interview on News Hour with Bob Barr, a conservative politician from Georgia. 

James McCabe 

New York, New York

NBC’s Coverage Had Flaws

KEVIN Monaghan of NBC sports wrote in last week’s issue about the network’s “record 1,210 hours of Athens programming.” Yes, the raw, live coverage early each day was great and the supporting website magnificent. With up to four channels to choose from, this was a whole new experience.

The NBC prime time coverage, however, had some serious shortcomings. It was clear that in prime time NBC placed ratings before everything. 

Some of the greatest track and field events (such as the men’s 1,500 meters) were relegated to after 11 p.m., forcing the real track fan to stay tuned. If Americans won gold, that seemed to change the formula. In the men’s 1,500 meters, no American reached the semifinals, so beach volleyball took precedence.

Another deficiency was in the sprints. For instance, the first two rounds of the women’s 100 meters were not shown anywhere, even though each heat lasts about 12 seconds. 

NBC carried the quarterfinals, but the cameras did not show the Belarus girl, Yuliya Nesterenko, at the starting line. They zoomed in on others as she was not a pre-favorite.

The semis and finals of the women’s 100 meters were shown on prime time. However, they did not mention Nesterenko as a prospect until the final, and when she won they interviewed the second place girl.

For all the money NBC invested in the Games, they totally missed the biggest event of the entire Olympics. Given the ongoing war in Iraq, the first appearance of Iraqi athletes was bound to be huge. 

They faced Portugal, one of the top soccer powers in the world, which added to the hype. That Iraq actually won the game (4-2) made this the true David and Goliath event of the Olympics. 

And NBC missed it – completely! It looked like they had to use borrowed footage to show the highlights. What an embarrassment.

Still, overall the coverage was good, even though the commercial breaks in prime time were longer than many of the events. And some, like boxing, could only be watched with the mute button activated. 

Maybe by 2008 C-Span can step in and bring us BBC Olympic coverage through negotiated reciprocity. Aren’t the Olympics about international competition anyway?

William McGimpsey

Mahopac, New York