Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig romhaibh!
Posted by Jim on March 17, 2019
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.”
Official Communication from the UFA
Posted by Jim on March 15, 2019
PLAQUE DEDICATION
On Friday, March 15, 2019 at 1100 hours, a Plaque Dedication will be held honoring the memory of Fire Marshal Christopher T. Zanetis, who died on March 15, 2018. The dedication will take place in the quarters of E-28 and L-11, 222 East 2nd Street, New York, NY. All off-duty members and their families are invited to attend. Members are requested to attend in dress uniform.
FDNY BOXING
Come and enjoy a night of USA Sanctioned Boxing with New York’s Bravest on March 15th, 2019, at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater(The Old Felt Forum). Doors open at 7:00 PM, with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 PM. The Beast of the East Boxing will feature FDNY Boxing vs Police and Firefighters from Boston to Baltimore. Proceeds benefit Building Homes for Heroes. Tickets cost $30-$65 and can be purchased by clicking HERE, or visiting FDNYBoxing.com.
2019 VIETNAM VETERANS DAY
The United War Veterans Council welcomes you to attend the 2019 Vietnam Veterans Day on Saturday, March 23, from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM. The day will include a Tribute March from Korean War Veterans Plaza/Cadman Plaza (Brooklyn) to Vietnam Veterans Plaza (Lower Manhattan), reading the names of the fallen at the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary – Seton Shrine, 7 State Street, New York, NY 10004, and a wreath laying ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, 55 Water Street, New York, NY 10041. For more information, how to volunteer and attend the events of the day, please visit https://uwvc.org/vietnam-veterans-day-2019/ or call 212.693.1476.
FDNY BASEBALL TRYOUTS
FDNY Baseball Tryouts will be held March 27 and April 2 at 10:00 AM at Victory Field Forest Park, (Woodhaven Blvd and Myrtle Ave) in Queens. If you have any questions, please email smiller@fdnybaseball.com.
2019 FUN CITY BOWL
The annual FDNY vs NYPD football game will be held on Saturday, June 1, at 5:00 PM at MCU Park in Brooklyn. Tickets cost $20, and a free Cyclones ticket is included with purchase. Deadline to purchase tickets is May 16. Checks should be made payable to Bravest Football. Payment can be mailed to 101 Bevy Court, Brooklyn NY 11229. To send payments electronically, Venmo @John-Mooney -FDNYL154. For questions or more information, contact John Mooney at JEMFDNY74@gmail.com.
Bloody Sunday families told only one prosecution to go ahead
Posted by Jim on March 14, 2019
Families of the victims have been left angry and upset after Crown
Prosecutors claimed today there is sufficient evidence to prosecute
only one one the seventeen soldiers known to have been involved in the
Bloody Sunday massacre.
Fourteen people, half of them teenage boys, were taking part in a civil
rights march in Derry when they were shot dead by British paratroopers
on January 30, 1972. A further 22 innocent civilians were injured.
Many of the families who emerged from this morning’s meeting with the
prosecutors were visibly upset.
Earlier the relatives of those killed on Bloody Sunday gathered at the
memorial in the Bogside to walk together to the city centre, where the
meeting took place. They carried before them placards bearing the names
and faces of their loved ones, and a single word: Justice.
Nine years ago, they made that same walk ahead of the publication of the
Saville Report, which found none of the victims had posed a threat when
they were shot. British Prime Minister David Cameron then issued a
famous apology for the slaughter.
While some families backed away from campaigning at that point, others
continued the annual march for justice. A breakthrough finally came when
a murder investigation was launched in 2012.
John Kelly is among the majority of families who wanted to see all of
the soldiers involved in shootings prosecuted.
“My view is they are all guilty of murder,” says Kelly. “Any soldier who
fired a shot that day should be charged with murder.”
He added: “It’s not just about Bloody Sunday, it’s about all the other
killings. If they can get away with Bloody Sunday, they can get away
with anything.”
British army veterans’ representatives and many MPs had been lobbying
for a complete amnesty for the British military in Ireland. Last week,
British Direct Ruler Karen Bradley said any killing carried out by a
British soldier in the north of Ireland is “not a crime”. She later
withdrew the remark.
Amid immense media attention, it ha been confirmed that only one former
paratrooper – soldier F – is to be charged with two murders and four
attempted murders.
Kate Nash, who lost her brother William on Bloody Sunday, said her
stomach had been “in knots” waiting for today’s news on prosecutions.
She has dedicated her entire life to being a voice for her brother and
says the families “just want justice”.
“I hear politicians talking about jailing this one and that one, but not
soldiers, because they shouldn’t have to face that. What makes them
special that they shouldn’t have to face it?”