Saint Patrick's Day
By xeminas
@xeminas (127)
United States
January 26, 2007 1:08am CST
America abused and discriminated against Irish immigrants for over a century, but every March 17, bigotry be damned--it's time to get wasted! Not only does the hideous display of public drunkenness and general stupidity (not to mention the incessant schoolyard pinching that the few unfortunate children who forgot to check their calendars before dressing have to endure!) that we see every Saint Patrick's Day promote some of the awful stereotypes that Americans first saddled the thousands of destitute Irish who were trying to escape the Potato Famines with in the mid-19th Century, it also serves as an EXTREMELY poor way to teach children to cultivate cultural awareness.
So this year, when you're swilling your green beer and pretending to be "Irish for a Day," please take the time to THINK--
What kind of message are we REALLY sending?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@misskatonic (3723)
• United States
28 Jan 07
Oh man, I grew up in Boston and St Patrick's Day was always such a huge deal. And I always hated it because so many people who had no clue would get into it. I remember one girl saying something about 'I'm going to wear orange, since that's an Irish color to!' and I think my jaw actually dropped.
@seventeen17 (65)
•
14 Feb 07
Finally you see what america is really like. Come to England! We love St Patricks so much we actually try to drink Guiness for the day!
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
30 Jan 07
Believe me I agree. I come from mostly Irish stock and I still see many who stereotype the Irish here in America. It's worse of course around St. Pattrick's Day. Very little shows the true Irish heritage in this country. Very few now a days even realize how poorly the Irish were treated when they came here. They were discriminated against by almost everyone here. however they showed how stubborn they could be and prospered. It would be nice if on St. Patricks day they could show and help cultivate the culture for the younger kids to know how spiecal it is. They do it for many other cultures why not the Irish.
@Wastedoneternity (52)
• United States
7 Feb 07
I dunno but I do know that a got a tiny bit of Irish in my family and I like cornbeef and cabbage. I think its just Americas druken way of bringing the country together.
