50th Anniversary, Wow! It seems like yesterday. The Bride and my first date.
Posted by Jim on March 20, 2019
Official Communication from the UFA
Posted by Jim on March 19, 2019
PLAQUE DEDICATION
On Saturday, March 23, 2019, at 1100 hours, a Plaque Dedication will be held honoring the memory of Firefighter Michael R. Davidson, E-69, who died on March 23, 2018. The dedication will take place in the quarters of E-69 and L-28, 248 West 143rd Street, New York, NY. All off-duty members and their families are invited to attend. Members are requested to attend in dress uniform.
PLAQUE DEDICATION
On Saturday, March 30, 2019, at 1000 hours, a Plaque Dedication will be held honoring the memory of Lieutenant Christopher J. Raguso, E-302, who died on March 15, 2018. The dedication will take place in the quarters of E-302 and L-155, 143-15 Rockaway Blvd. Queens, NY. All off-duty members and their families are invited to attend. Members are requested to attend in dress uniform.
MEMORIAL MASS
Rescue 4 invites you and your family to attend their annual Memorial Mass on Thursday, April 4, at 1:00 PM. Mass will be held at St. Sebastian Church, 58-02 Roosevelt Ave, Woodside, NY 11377. Lunch to follow.
ANNUAL FF MICHAEL J CAWLEY MEMORIAL FOUNDATION BENEFIT
The 18th Annual Firefighter Michael J Cawley Memorial Foundation Benefit will be held Saturday, April 6, at Mulcahy’s, 3232 Railroad Ave, Wantagh, NY, from 3:00-8:00 PM. The event will feature live music, raffle prizes, a live & silent auction, complimentary buffet and drink specials. A $25 donation is recommended. For more information, go to www.ffmichaeljcawley.org or call 718-359-8430.
FDNY PHOENIX SOCIETY
The FDNY Phoenix Society invites you to their 3rd Annual Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration Awards and Scholarship Banquet on Friday, April 26, at 7:00 PM, at Jing Fong Restaurant (20 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY 10013). Ticket price is $100 per person. Visit www.eventbrite.com and type in FDNY Phoenix Society under event search for more information and to purchase tickets, or click here: https://bit.ly/2AgBh3C. All proceeds will go toward 2020 Scholarship Award. 50/50 raffle and raffle prizes are also available. For more information, contact David Lin, President, at FDNYPhoenixSociety@gmail.com.
METS GROUP DISCOUNTS
2019 FDNY group discounts are available for any Mets game (excludes Opening Day and Subway Series)! 2019 features two new bar packages, a newly renovated hospitality space, and inventory specifically held back for groups during the Subway Series. There are still M&M Sweet Seats & Suites available for Opening Day. EMS Night is May 20th, First Responders Night is June 13th, and First Responders Day is July 28th. Contact Max Johnson at MJohnson@nymets.com or 718-559-3031 if you have interest in bringing a group of 15 or more to Citi Field
Shock About “England Get Out of Ireland” Banner.
Posted by Jim on
Ending England’s rule in Ireland (often shortened to “England Get Out of Ireland”) is a perfectly legitimate expression of historic Irish-American wishes for Ireland.
Not only that, but using “England” as distinct from Britain makes the point that Wales and Scotland can hardly be blamed for the mistreatment and later in 1920 for the partition of Ireland. Furthermore, there is no way the Unionists/Protestants can claim that such a formulation implies they should get out of Ireland—no more than pro-UK Union people would have to leave Scotland when Scotland opts for independence.
So why is there such faux shock that Mary Lou McDonald is seen marching with the “England Get Out of Ireland” banner in the New York St. Patrick’s Parade? The only real story would be if Mary Lou had refused to march with that banner. After all, Jimmy Carter in 1976— seven months before he was elected president—famously marched in the New York St. Patrick’s Day Parade wearing the button “England Get Out of Ireland.” … And Mary Lou, the president of Sinn Fein, is not supposed to show such sensibility and solidarity. Are you kidding me! Could anything be more ahistorical… And we are told it’s Irish-Americans who are ahistorical regarding Ireland.
Fr. Sean Mc Manus
President
Irish National Caucus
Bradley again defends killer soldiers
Posted by Jim on March 16, 2019
British Direct Ruler Karen Bradley is facing further criticism after she
praised the “courage and distinction” of British soldiers following the
Bloody Sunday decision to prosecute one of them for murder.
Fourteen civil rights demonstrators died when British paratroopers
opened fire on their protest in January, 1972. Bradley paid tribute to
members of the Crown Forces just hours after the prosecution decision
against one of the paratroopers was made known.
She said: “We are indebted to those who served with courage and
distinction to bring peace in Northern Ireland, and I have the deepest
sympathy for the suffering of the families of those who were killed on
Bloody Sunday and all those who lost loved ones during the Troubles.”
Bradley faced calls to resign last week after she told the House of
Commons that killings carried out by British soldiers and police are
“not crimes”, but rather actions of those “fulfilling their duties in a
dignified and appropriate way”.
In November, she said she wanted to find a way to get British soldiers
facing prosecution for murder “off the hook”. She said she was working
to find a way “that we can all be happy that our service veterans and
former police officers do not face harassment in the courts, do not face
disproportionate focus from the legal services.”
She has also declared that soldiers convicted of murder should be
eligible for early release under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday
Agreement.
Bloody Sunday Trust chairman Tony Doherty called on Bradley to resign.
Mr Doherty, whose father Patrick was one of those killed in the Bloody
Sunday massacre, said: “Her crassness is fathomless. The British army
did not bring peace. To the people of Derry, the Parachute Regiment
brought murder, mayhem and injustice.”
Her comments also mean she is not an appropriate person to appoint a
successor to Police Ombudsman Michael Maguire, according to one of his
predecessors.
Nuala O’Loan, who in 1999 became the north’s first police ombudsman,
said Karen Bradley’s involvement in appointing a replacement for Mr
Maguire would undermine trust in the police watchdog.
“I don’t think she is capable of being perceived as impartial and I
think it’s critical for trust in the police ombudsman’s office that the
person appointed can be seen to have been appointed impartially,” she
said.
“It is a function of the secretary of state, that has to be exercised
but she is not the person who can exercise it.”
Mrs O’Loan said that although Bradley had apologised for her more
controversial statements, she it was “very clear that that is the way
she thought”.
“My view would be that if she remains in post and makes the appointment
there may well be questions about the impartiality of the candidate she
appointed because she has said what she has said,” she said.
“It’s not to reflect on anybody who might be appointed but simply trust
in the police ombudsman’s office is critical to the operation of it and
I think what she has said has indicated that she is not impartial.”