Remember POWs

A RENEWED and revived effort is needed to continue shining the light of truth on the plight of Irish Republican POWs currently facing the harsh realities of their prison life.

This unjust criminalization action is not just isolated in the British occupied six counties but also in the collaborative free state as well. For that matter, a dramatic increase in the use of detentions with ultimate deportations of Irish Republicans in the U.S. is happening as well.

This governmental troika cabal of London, Dublin and Washington is a systematic and devised scheme and plan of action which is to deny the political nature of Irish Republicans actions and to promote the line of lies that regulate freedom fighters to common criminals.

We have seen this all before, but criminalization and the fight for national sovereignty can not be logically linked. History has proven that legitimate freedom movements cannot be forever stalled.

In comparison, as long as occupiers and illegitimate governments rule and deny Irish freedom, the resultant war is warranted. Ocean tides will not cease, nor will man and woman’s quest for liberty, freedom and equality cease.

Only by effective support on the ground for the plight of the brave volunteer freedom soldiers can the struggle metamorphous into a reality of true independent freedom.

Irish Republican fighters, political activists, writers and demonstrators sacrifice life and liberty, leaving families and loved behind so that we may enjoy a true Irish Democratic Socialist Republic.

The Irish Republican POWs need to be given the peace of mind that their families will be seen to. The restoration of political status for Irish Republican POWs is a part of the war that must be front and center in the public eye, especially in America.

The battle for political status was fought and won once before until the Provos negotiated it away as part of the failed Good Friday Agreement. So it is up to real Republicans to continue the cycle of sacrifice to smash the chains that imprison a land and people.

Sean O Lubaigh
Canton, Ohio

Not Just a Gay March

THANK you for your coverage of our seventh annual inclusive St. Patrick’s Parade to be held on March 5 in Sunnyside/Woodside Queens.

I would like to clarify a point, though. Our celebration is not “sponsored” by the Lavender and Green Alliance. It is the concept of several Queens residents, many of whom are straight, and sponsored by private individuals and contributions from several labor organizations.

That statement in your coverage continues to foster the misconception that we are a “gay parade.” As the co-chair of the event, and one of the original organizers, I must reiterate once again, that we are an inclusive parade.

Our goal always has been to permit anyone who wishes to celebrate the Irish and Irish/American contribution to our city to participate. Ours is a unique celebration.

The children are always the grand marshals. We have a diversity of marchers, including puppets, clowns and performers. Many Irish cultural, social and political groups join us.

We would love to have Roman Catholic parishes and organizations march as well. Our website www.stpatsforall.com indicates the true nature of our intentions and spirit.

Thank you again.

Barbara Ann Heffernan Mohr
Jamaica, New York

We Need Real Leader

JOHN Rogers’ response in last week’s issue (“Screaming Deaniacs”) to my letter was predictable. He uses the same tactics the far right has been trotting out for these past six years. Obfuscate, condescend, insult and accuse.

I find it revealing that Mr. Rogers takes comfort in the fact that Tom DeLay has only been indicted, so far. No one said DeLay was a convicted criminal. Rest assured, sooner or later that will come, but for the moment, he’s just a crook with less morals than an alley cat.

As to his point that the press is properly termed the fourth estate, not the third estate as I mistakenly said, I concede he is correct. I should have Googled that to check my facts — but then again, considering the government is demanding Google’s records, maybe that wouldn’t have been such a great idea, either.

The rest of Mr. Rogers’ letter goes on to attempt to spew insults and accusations. I can’t tell you how ironic I found his quote, “She thinks that saying something is enough to make it a reality.”

Considering that this has been the whole modus operandi of the Bush administration I had to laugh out loud when I read that. How many times have you heard that “we’ve turned the corner” in Iraq? Enough to make you realize you’re going around and around in circles, I would hope.

We did not invade Iraq to give Iraqis freedom as Mr. Rogers implies. That was a secondary excuse given when it turned out that the main stated reason for invasion, the threat of WMDs, was a complete and utter load of garbage, hyped and distorted to scare the American public.

Here’s the “reality” — we were lead into invading another country under false pretenses. That invasion was poorly planned and poorly executed.

Our occupation of that country has been a disaster, with wholesale corruption and war profiteering occurring while the average soldier didn’t get the body armor or vehicle armor they needed.

But perhaps the biggest tragedy is that there really is a very deadly enemy out there, and the actions of the Bush administration have only made them stronger.

Iraq has become a recruiting and breeding ground for terrorists, and I fear that just as a war in Afghanistan bred bin Laden, this war will breed a future generation of vicious terrorists.

It’s time to throw aside the ideological blinders. This country needs and deserves better leadership than what we presently are inflicted with.

We need someone who will lead with courage tempered by intelligence, not bravado backed by hubris.

Mary O’Sullivan
Yonkers, New York

Forever Foreign

A PEARL of wisdom from George Bernard Shaw in his twilight:

“Eternal is the fact that the human creature born Ireland and brought up in its air is Irish. I have lived for 20 years in Ireland, and for 72 in England, but the 20 came first, and in Britain I am still a foreigner and shall die one.”

Sean Moynihan
Bronx, New York

A Few Thoughts

PLEASE allow me to make a few brief statements.

Thank God for John Spain.

Stop the immature nonsense of claiming every silly movie star is part Irish. I don’t want any of those vulgar people (Colin Farrell, Bono, the McCourt brothers or Jim Sheridan) to be Irish spokespeople for me. Surely you must be able to find someone worth writing about who can manage a sentence without “f” words.

We’re now going to be subjected to another Irish writer telling us about his policeman father that beat him everyday. Guess you stoop low for the money!

There has to be other news from Ireland besides who killed who. We have too much of that here.

I never want to hear another word about Gerry Adams or the IRA. If he ever had any say in the running of the 26 counties or Dail Eireann (Irish Parliament) I’d never go home again.

I sincerely wish that all your Irish/American, American/Irish letter writers would do something worthwhile, like starting an Irish and Irish American voter registration drive. At election time, have you heard any politician/pollster wondering who the Irish are going to vote for?

President Bush is not Ireland’s president. When he visits Ireland please exercise a little courtesy and diplomacy, then the silent majority won’t be so embarrassed and the loud-mouth minority won’t look so foolish.

Finally, please ask this bad mannered journalist, Carole Coleman, to go home. Tell her there are no “country hicks.”

Bridgett Callaghan
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania