Response to Florida Senate Bill 7024
Posted by Jim on May 28, 2015
On May 21st, the government of the State of Florida participated in a shameful revocation of the fundamental protections of the Irish Catholic Community in Northern Ireland. By rescinding Florida Statute 121.153, our State government has essentially stripped the Catholic Community of the civil rights protections that they have been afforded since 1988 under the Mac Bride Principles.
While May 21st must be seen as a dark and shameful day for our State government, it will be remembered as the day that countless Irish-Americans from all walks of life flooded the Governors phone lines demanding he halt this shameful act.
The courage and organizational prowess of the AOH, IRISH NATIONAL CAUCUS, and Irish Americans from all walks of life almost convinced the Governor to reconsider. While we did not succeed, we did let the governor and our legislature know we were disgusted by the actions they had taken. Actions that have nothing in common with the values of the American people.
On May 21st, we sent a clear message to our State government, though the battle may have been lost we will never end our struggle to hold government accountable for its actions. We will never abandon the struggle for equality, justice and freedom for the Catholic Community of Northern Ireland.
Again, I would like to thank all of are Brothers and Sisters who took part in this struggle. I would like to personally thank Father Sean Mc Manus of the Irish National Caucus who personally provided me with the actionable intelligence to respond to this veiled legislative action. I would like to thank Greg Sean Canning for having courage to fight a battle based on Principle.
There are those that believe you should never fight a battle unless your certain of victory. If we choose to follow such a philosophy we have lost much more than a battle, we will have lost our moral compass. We must never be willing to turn our back on our suffering Brothers and Sisters in Northern Ireland in pursuit of political expediency.
In closing I ask you to remember the words of Robert Kennedy ” Each time a person stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, these ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance”
My Sincere Appreciation to you all,
Shawn Sidway
State Chair- Freedom For All Ireland Committee