Irish Central is reporting that the the Irish Ant-Defamation Federation has backed the mayor calling the activities that accompany the annual parade “distasteful and “crime ridden.”
The statement, sent out by recording officer Mary Beth Phillips states:
“The Officers and Members of the Irish Anti-Defamation Federation, based in Philadelphia, would like to support Hoboken's Mayor Dawn Zimmer, in her decision to cancel the St. Patrick's Day Parade in her town.
Although we are saddened by the loss of this tradition (what should be an all-generations, family-friendly celebration of Ireland's patron saint, and display of our Irish heritage and culture for those claiming Irish roots), we think Mayor Zimmer was wise to put a stop to the distasteful, dangerous, and crime-ridden activities that have accompanied the parade, especially since last year's parade-associated crimes included three reports of rape.
Mayor Zimmer is sending a strong signal to all, whether Irish-American supporters of the Hoboken parade, revelers in the bars, and even spectators, that things are out of control. Her necessary cancellation of the parade is just one step towards fixing a dreadful batch of problems.
We applaud her decision to try to make St. Patrick's Day the pride-filled celebration and holiday it should be. Mayor Zimmer does not want, and cannot afford, for Hoboken to be New Orleans at Mardi Gras, even if it means drastic changes are needed this particular year.
For all those who disagree with her, we at the IADF recommend ways to create a family-friendly celebration once more, one that will not tax the police and other services required of the citizens of Hoboken."
The group got one thing wrong: Zimmer didn't end the parade, Hoboken's St. Patrick's Parade Committee did.
The committee used their own parade for a political statement against the mayor, siding against the safety and security of our residents. They had a YEAR to figure out how to make it work on Wednesday. Each one of them ought to be replaced.
Meanwhile, if you take a look at the IADF web site, something tells me that 'Leper-Con', the fake Irish heritage celebration excuse for a bar crawl, will NOT be appreciated.
Sanity at last. If you want the merest glimpse into the brilliance of the Irish you can read this little book. You might also want to peruse arguably the the greatest play about the state of mankind after WWII; or, for my money, the finest American play ever written. We can argue rankings. But the importance and scope of Irish literary output relative to their numbers on this planet is staggering.
ReplyDeleteI only wish that sort of staggering were more prized by these defenders of projectile vomiting. I mean, just because it's green...
Excellent points, Griswell. Beckett, especially. But despite (or perhaps because of) their brilliance, all 3---still somewhat tortured Irish souls....
DeleteIn spite of the generally-accepted canon, MBB's personal tastes do not tend to favor the obtuse poetry of Joyce, nor the often interminable angst of O'Neill.
(But then there's also the largely ubiquitous absence of any female's brilliant voice in the mostly phallocentrically-determined "pantheon.")
So they are Irish teetotalers? What is curious about Ireland is that they have both a high percent of the population that doesn't drink at all and some of the highest per capital alcohol consumption rates in Europe.
ReplyDeleteIf you hurl on St. Patty's, it is b/c you aren't Irish enough ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'll bake you something green. How's that , Red?
ReplyDeleteNo thanks. I never was one for baked goods and don't have much of a sweet tooth. I'd probably prefer some green cabbage w/ my corned beef over a green baked good ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I do make my own. I got my father's recipe. He made it for us every year for as far back as I can remember on St. Patty's along w/ boiled potatoes. It was also perhaps the only meal of the year where we ate boiled potatoes. Corned beef & cabbage and boiled potatoes goes great w/ a nice dark stout.
Hey Red, don't wanna brag but I'm a pretty good cook. Corned beef is easy. How about stuffed cabbage. You like that? With a sweet and sour sauce.
ReplyDeleteCorned beef is very easy. The trick is how to get the cabbage to taste sweet.
DeleteSorry, just don't go for Asian food for St. Patty's.....lol.
Bad boy, Red. I do it the Jewish way. Yum, yum, yum... tsk, tsk you'll never know.
DeleteI think cabbage is probably better steamed, no? Boiling it takes the flavor out. I love corned beef myself, but it's a lot of salt so don't partake often.
Well the beer helps w/ the salt! I also toss in carrots & onions. Cabbage goes in at the end and rests on top of the corned beef so it really steams more than it boils. You also take a wee bit of vinegar & sugar dissolved in some water & pour that over the cabbage once you have it in the pot. That makes it taste sweet. Helps balance the saltiness it picks up from the corned beef.
DeleteMmmmm... sounds delish. Now you've got me wanting to make corned beef. Which cut do you favor- thin or thick?
DeleteYou need to do the flat cut b/c it is far leaner and I suggest you trim off as much of the fat as possible. I used the other cut by accident one year and everything was covered in grease. The cabbage was pretty much inedible b/c the taste of grease just overpowered every other flavor.
ReplyDeleteCorned beef & cabbage, while very yummy is strictly an American thing. The closest thing in Irish cuisine is made with lean Irish Bacon.
ReplyDeleteDoes that come from green pigs?
DeleteNo, just dead ones.
DeleteIt is true that in Ireland beef was usually too expensive for most people to eat but as soon as the Irish moved here, they not only started eating beef, they also started treating it with salt and cooking it the way they treated and cooked a bacon joint. Consider it a very Irish American dish that is based in the same cooking techniques as Bacon & Cabbage. As an Irish American, I am fine w/ eating an authentic Irish American dish on St. Patty's.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds about right & both recipes are good. BTW, the Irish had plenty of beef, but it was all raised for & shipped to their English landlords, even during the famine. For a scathing indictment of this genocide, rent "The Irish & How They Got That Way".
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