Tomorrow we celebrate St. Patrick's day. Saint Patrick is the man who legend says chased all the snakes out of Ireland with his shillelagh. At least that what I was told. How the green beer got involved with a Saint I'm not sure. There was a day when I looked forward to drinking some of that and celebrating, but those days are behind me now. Sure'n I've been to many a fine St. Patty's day parade and celebration.
I do find it amusing that everyone wants to be Irish on that particular day. I do wonder why all the negative stereotyping of the Irish is accepted,even embraced, you might say. I'm thinking if we tried to celebrate other ethnic groups by stereotyping their lifestyle we would be met with resistance. Judging by tomorrows activities all the Irish drink huge quantities of beer and eat corn beef and cabbage. Then they love to fist fight with one another. They all wear derby hats. It certainly isn't a flattering image.
On the surface it is a good time for all. Parades and parties. This all arrived with the influx of the Irish during the great potato famine. We all know the Irishmen became the police department in New York. They were used to dealing with drunks and fighting. The billy club isn't really much different than a shillelagh. At least that is the perception.
I will leave it you,the reader, to write the next part of this narrative. Imagine we created celebrations for some of the other ethnic groups in our fair land. What would they be like ? We all know certain groups are noted for their drug use and economic standing. Other groups have different customs from their homeland that perhaps we could celebrate and embrace. You get the idea. I am too politically correct to spell it out. But I can't help but think what an uproar it would create. The Irish are indeed a forgiving and tolerate people. An entire holiday devoted to pretty much making fun of them.
It is all in good fun. No harm and no foul. We all have a little bit of the Irish in us. So celebrate. I've got my cabbage. Greensboro doesn't have a St. Patricks day parade. I'm not sure where the closet one is but then there aren't that many Irish in these parts. We do have an Irish public house in Denton, the county seat. It's a fine tradition and St. Patrick was a fine man ! Now if we only get him to drive all the mosquitoes out of Caroline county we would have a parade to celebrate that !
I do find it amusing that everyone wants to be Irish on that particular day. I do wonder why all the negative stereotyping of the Irish is accepted,even embraced, you might say. I'm thinking if we tried to celebrate other ethnic groups by stereotyping their lifestyle we would be met with resistance. Judging by tomorrows activities all the Irish drink huge quantities of beer and eat corn beef and cabbage. Then they love to fist fight with one another. They all wear derby hats. It certainly isn't a flattering image.
On the surface it is a good time for all. Parades and parties. This all arrived with the influx of the Irish during the great potato famine. We all know the Irishmen became the police department in New York. They were used to dealing with drunks and fighting. The billy club isn't really much different than a shillelagh. At least that is the perception.
I will leave it you,the reader, to write the next part of this narrative. Imagine we created celebrations for some of the other ethnic groups in our fair land. What would they be like ? We all know certain groups are noted for their drug use and economic standing. Other groups have different customs from their homeland that perhaps we could celebrate and embrace. You get the idea. I am too politically correct to spell it out. But I can't help but think what an uproar it would create. The Irish are indeed a forgiving and tolerate people. An entire holiday devoted to pretty much making fun of them.
It is all in good fun. No harm and no foul. We all have a little bit of the Irish in us. So celebrate. I've got my cabbage. Greensboro doesn't have a St. Patricks day parade. I'm not sure where the closet one is but then there aren't that many Irish in these parts. We do have an Irish public house in Denton, the county seat. It's a fine tradition and St. Patrick was a fine man ! Now if we only get him to drive all the mosquitoes out of Caroline county we would have a parade to celebrate that !
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