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My wife is from Ireland and she thinks it is stupid that for many St Patricks day in America is an excuse to drink up a storm.
There is or was a comparison between black and Irish folk back in the day when segregation was the mainstream.
There were actually signs that read "NO Blacks Or Irish" I guess they didn't like blacks and thought the Irish were a bunch of drunks ready for a fight.
We have seen racist T shirts in front windows of shops, there is one in particular where the caption reads "Irish Yoga" and there is a bunch of people passed out drunk in weird positons. Imagine the same type of T shirt assault on the common decency of black people if a shirt depicted a grinning black faced individual smacking his lips while downing chicken and watermelon. OUTRAGE would ensue.
Perhaps the difference is Irish people have a sense of humour? Either way it is not right to poke fun at a peoples negative traits.
It could me something else here: on St Paddy's day: MOST of us; of Irish family or not, poke fun at each other. Many of us of Irish family DON'T drink and think the Irish Yoga pics are a hoot! Back to having a drinking problem: the ugly trust IS that alcoholism is over 20 times more common with Irish people than Jews. I saw that in 1 of Thomas Sowell's books.
In a way though I think calling something 'Black History' lessens its importance. As a small example, take the Tuskegee Airmen. While the racism of the military during the war isn't anything to be proud of it is part of American history and shouldn't be glossed over, nor should the actions of groups like the Tuskegee group and the 761st Tank Battalion at the Battle of the Bulge be relegated to 'Black History', they're part of American history and their actions and courage under fire should be celebrated.
All I can say is the history of black music in the USA is enough to make an all day celebration great. Can you imagine parades all over the country tied into street fairs with black musical acts going back decades performing on stages on different city blocks based on music type? I hate going to big cities but the stage with performers from the 50s and 60s in rock and roll...I'd be there. Then there is blues and gospel, something for everyone. Plus, the black small businessmen and women selling food on the street could make a lot of money. I think the idea of that type of celebrating might even have a lot of TV coverage not just a 5 minute segment on some news show.
All I can say is the history of black music in the USA is enough to make an all day celebration great. Can you imagine parades all over the country tied into street fairs with black musical acts going back decades performing on stages on different city blocks based on music type? I hate going to big cities but the stage with performers from the 50s and 60s in rock and roll...I'd be there. Then there is blues and gospel, something for everyone. Plus, the black small businessmen and women selling food on the street could make a lot of money. I think the idea of that type of celebrating might even have a lot of TV coverage not just a 5 minute segment on some news show.
African Americans have to defend the celebration of black history month or anything "African", yet, why do the Irish in America get their "Irish" day so widely accepted? Whatever happened to just being "American"...when it comes to the Irish.
"African Americans have to defend the celebration of black history month" I DON'T agree with your premise.
"Whatever happened to just being "American"... Try dropping African-American and be called American.
African Americans have to defend the celebration of black history month or anything "African", yet, why do the Irish in America get their "Irish" day so widely accepted? Whatever happened to just being "American"...when it comes to the Irish.
Hey, it's only a day, 24 hours. Black history month is 28 DAYS, 672 hours. The Irish have a great deal of history to be crammed into a single day.
According to Wikipedia, there has been 22 American presidents, who claim to be of Irish descent. That’s half of all US Presidents! President Obama, who in fact does have an Irish connection, is the 44th US President and claims Irish ancestry through Falmouth Kearney, the son of a shoemaker, born in Moneygall, County Offaly.
They can say that the Irish were worse off than blacks but we know that is a lie.
The Irish did not have to worry about being lynched.
The Irish were NOT slaves.
The Irish could not be raped at any time.
The Irish did not have to march in the 60's,and have another amendment so they could vote.
In 2015 you're right.
Back in the day us "Irish" ranked below even "free persons of color". Hell; according to Thomas Sowell; the slave owners would hire Irish to do the really dangerous work because it was cheaper to pay off the widows if some got killed, Black slaves were too much money to replace, if new ones could even be found.
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