Monthly Archives: March 2021

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there will be no vibrant, green parades, group celebrations, or religious coming-togethers for a second year in a row in Ireland today.

The country is confined to the strictest level 5 lockdown with a 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) travel limit. And while we will still be adorned in shamrocks, and landmarks across the world will turn green and fly the Irish flag, we have a little more time on our hands than usual, and there is something that we need to get off our chests ...

It's Happy St. Patrick's Day, Happy St. Paddy's Day, L fhile Pdraig sona duit as gaeilge, or even Happy St. Pat's Day at a push, but Happy St. Patty's Day it is not.

On the Emerald Isle, we say St. Patty's about as much as we utter "top O' the mornin to ye" while eating corned beef and cabbage alongside a leprechaun minding a pot of gold and wearing a four-leaf clover in our lapel -- i.e., absolutely never.

(Correction: We say "good morning"; we like bacon or ham with our cabbage to make it nice and salty; we stay well away from leprechauns as they are vicious little creatures; and the three-leaf shamrock is Ireland's national flower with St. Patrick using it as a metaphor for the Holy Trinity.)

It grinded Marcus Campbell's gears so much he created PaddyNotPatty.com to help set the record straight, likening the use of Patty to the sound of "nails on a chalkboard."

"Paddy is derived from the Irish, Pdraig, hence those mysterious, emerald double-Ds," Campbell writes on his site.

"Patty is the diminutive of Patricia, or a burger, and just not something you call a fella (a man). There's not a sinner in Ireland that would call a Patrick, 'Patty.'"

In recent years, "#PaddyNotPatty" has trended on social media in a bid to inform those across the Atlantic about the patron saint, who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland as well as, according to legend, driving the snakes into the sea.

One Twitter user wrote: "My annual PSA ... This St. Patrick's Day, please remember it's Paddy not Patty. Unless you happen to be celebrating St. Patricia's Day in March which would be a little weird as her feast day is August 25th."

Another added: "The annual reminder. Irish people use Paddy to shorten Patrick because the Irish version of the name is Pdraig. And if the Irish are telling you it's Paddy, it's Paddy."

As Irish Prime Minister, Taoiseach Michael Martin, gets set for the annual March 17 meet-up (albeit this year, virtually) with US President and proud Irish American Joe Biden (whose ancestors hail from Ballina in County Mayo), does it really matter what the day is called if so many people get enjoyment from celebrating Irish heritage? And with the population of Ireland currently standing at 4.9 million, while 34.7 million US residents claim Irish ancestry, are the #PaddyNotPatty brigade wasting their breath?

Robert Savage, interim director of Irish Studies at Boston College, believes the debate is PC gone mad.

"I don't think it bothers anybody here (in the US) that Patrick is not referenced properly," he told CNN.

"Saying Patty's Day or Paddy's Day is not meant to be malicious or disrespectful, but just a shorthand way to acknowledge the holiday.

"It doesn't really matter as long as people have a great time celebrating Ireland! Political correctness does not extend to St Patty's Day!"

Kerry-born CNN reporter Donie O'Sullivan says despite living stateside for the past five years, he has "definitely not started calling St. Patrick's Day, St. Patty's Day."

However, like Savage, he said it doesn't bother him.

"I poke fun at my friends here who might call it St Patty's Day, but it's not a big deal," O'Sullivan said.

"It's great to have so many people in the US talking about their love of Ireland and their connections to Ireland every March 17th and that's all that really matters."

CNN also reached out to arguably Ireland's second most successful export to the US, U2's Bono, but he has yet to return a request for comment.

See original here:

It's not Happy St. Patty's Day, but St. Paddy's Day. Here's why - Action News Now

A call to give The Kerryman newspaper a gender-neutral title will likely fall on deaf ears in the Kingdom, with a local TD blasting the proposal as an example of political correctness gone insane.

Minister Josepha Madigan has called for the end of gendered titles and language like chairman and spokesman and has said even The Kerryman should consider a change of title.

But South Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae told the Irish Mirror he vehemently opposes the idea.

He said: I know Minister Madigan to be a great person and a dedicated politician but what she is saying is the biggest load of absolute nonsense that Ive heard out of any politician since the foundation of the State - Its political correctness gone insane.

Whether Josepha likes it or not, a man is a man and a woman is a woman. What does she want for us? Not to have any gender whatsoever?

For a woman I would classify as being sensible, this is not one of her finer moments.

General manager of The Kerryman Siobhan Murphy told the Irish Mirror she sees no reason to change the name of the well-known paper.

She said: "As a woman, I dont have a problem with the name of the paper, I think the brand is iconic and Im very proud to be here.

"Ive been with The Kerryman for over 40 years and I think the most important thing about the paper is the people and the stories that make us such a recognisable title at home and abroad."

The paper hired a paperboy this year in the form of a newspaper stand outside the papers headquarters in Tralee.

Ms Murphy said the paper considered putting a papergirl outside the offices instead, but decided to stay true to tradition.

The paper was traditionally sold by paperboys - if we were to put a papergirl outside the front door it wouldnt represent the way The Kerryman was sold.

I know how important it is to move with the times and Im a strong advocate of womens rights, but I also believe that you have to respect history and traditions.

For us, its a case of 'if it aint broke, why fix it'.

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Call to give The Kerryman newspaper a gender-neutral title blasted as 'political correctness gone insane' - Irish Mirror

by JAIME HERRERA BEUTLER

Im a Republican because I believe in our core conservative ideals free markets, limited government, individual liberty, personal responsibility, justice, life, and a level playing field for every single American so that they can go as far as their dreams and hard work will take them.

These values are conservative, yes, but the reason I stand for them is simple: I believe they are true. For me, truth is the deepest value for a conservative. In a world filled with distortion and lies based on political correctness and utopian ideas, to be a conservative is to tell the truth every day.

Part of telling the truth is working to reject baseless conspiracy theories. Denying that a plane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, stating that school shootings are false flags, claiming the 2020 presidential election was stolen these lies have no place in the Republican party. A majority of voters in this country will put their trust in Republicans again if they see that were willing to face hard truths, and then do the right thing. Lincoln and Reagan did this. My hope is that others will join me in re-claiming that this is what our party stands for.

And if we demonstrate our dedication to truth, we wont just win elections, well be in the best position to solve our nations challenges.

Take schools, for example. All the data and experts say that its safe to fully reopen schools, yet our students largely remain on the sideline. The CDC just released guidance that states schools should be the last to close and first to open. While the Biden Administration dithers and conflicts itself, Republicans are leading the charge to embrace science and safely get kids back in the classroom.

Another example: forest fires. Up and down the west coast last summer, the air was so thick from forest fire smoke that healthy adults couldnt go outside. Democrat governors had few answers other than to wag their fingers about climate change and equivocate on the Green New Deal. Meanwhile, Republicans are pushing for sensible forest management reforms based on decades of data revealing just how mismanaged our public forests have become. Forget bad climate agreements that let China off the hook; reducing our carbon output can start with preventing the catastrophic fires that spewed 30 million tons more carbon dioxide than all the power generation for the entire state of California.

And in our major cities, Democrat leaders have failed so badly that theyve opened up a tremendous opportunity for new leadership and ideas. My region is wedged between Portland and Seattle where leftist city councils and mayors vacillate between minimizing the looting of the businesses and ignoring the activities that have led to an explosion of individuals living homeless, open waste piles and graffiti taking over public spaces and sidewalks. Residents of these cities are clamoring for leaders willing to acknowledge the truth that we can only function with law and order, and that enabling addiction has profoundly destructive consequences.

As a nation, we have our work cut out for us. We continue to witness fallout from the pandemic thats pushed Main Street businesses to the brink, and left families in crisis-mode. The child care shortage was a challenge before COVID, now its a crisis. Communities that were short-changed by Obamacare still lack quality medical treatment.

But therein is our opportunity to lead, too. The left will gravitate toward government intrusion and socialist programs because those things sound good. Its up to us to point out the truth: socialism doesnt work, and there are better alternatives that keep individuals and families in control of their own destinies.

GOP House gains in the most recent elections showed that when we do present these kinds of ideas, policies, and beliefs directly to the American people, they choose them over the socialist agenda we see coming from the Democratic Party.

This is a messy and uncertain time for our nation, but we can get through it. Difficult times almost always require tough decisions, hard work, and yes standing for things that many dont want to hear. We can face this truth. And when we do, our conservative truth can start to lift up our nation again, and our best days will appear ahead.

Jaime Herrera Beutler represents the 3rd District of Washington in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Original post:

We Have to Tell the Truth Every Day - The Ripon Society

My experience of general elections goes back to my life in the United Kingdom and stretches for more years than I care to remember. As is the norm there, political parties vie for votes in a variety of ways. Their leaders and prospective candidates travel the country from one end to the other. They shake hands, smile at people, cuddle babies and hold speaking events. Sometimes they are accompanied by a senior political personality, an obvious sign of endorsement.

Posters of the candidates friendly picture over the name and the slogan to vote for him or her appear on prominent sites. Newspapers carry articles, expounding the differences between the policies of the parties and advertisements spell them out, with a political bias.

Of course, in the UK, the number of serious parties on the list usually does not exceed four or five. A few others, like the Loony Party, with its representative in costume register for every election and inject some light-hearted relief into the serious business of choosing the next government.

While the rhetoric of the candidates may include criticism of opponents, it will ever only be in the context of their policies. I cannot recall to have ever heard or read personal insults or untoward language. In any case, like election expenditure, the framework of canvassing in the UK is strictly regulated.

Unfortunately, it is not so in Israel. Here, it seems to be a free-for-all under the erroneous mantle of free speech.

In this country, we have adopted political correctness as the norm. Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn announced that several official forms issued by the Justice Ministry would be amended to accommodate the demands of the LGBT community. Government documents will cease to specify the gender of the parents and that instead of mother and father they would state Parent 1 and Parent 2.

It seems that it is also deemed politically correct to use any language that comes to mind when describing the political opponent. So, when choosing the party for which to vote, should I not also to take into consideration their moral and ethical standards? Should I not also assess the character of the candidates to see how they behaves toward their fellow citizen?

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There are many references to that subject in our scriptures.

In Pirkei Avot (Ethics of Our Fathers) we read: One who publicly humiliates others, he has no share in the world to come.

Avigdor Liberman, head of the Yisrael Beytenu Party wants to dispatch Netanyahu and the haredim (ultra-Orthodox) in a wheel barrow to the trash heap.

Rav Hirsch also in Pirkei Avot explains that embarrassing others is the gravest of all sins against the dignity and nobleness inherent in every human being, by virtue of the fact that he has been made in the image of God.

Along the same lines, the Meri notes that one who humiliates or embarrasses others shows an ethical flaw, indicative of a grievous lack of basic human decency. Our scriptures abound with such statements.

Yet following the latest Supreme Court ruling on conversion, (which is unacceptable), the ultra-Orthodox in their election advertisement call the Reform Jews clowns and dogs, accompanied by the picture of a dog wearing tallit and tefillin (prayer shawl and phylacteries). Where is their respect for human dignity?

As the rift between Likud and the Blue and White parties widened, their mutual accusations became more and more acid. The exchanges between Yamina Party head Naftali Bennett and Gideon Saar, who leads the New Hope Party, have become bitter and unbecoming to a civilized election campaign. The hunger for power is overwhelming our senior politicians.

It is no secret that my political leaning is to the Right. So, what is my choice? Likud? Todays still largest party, which will inevitably be led by Netanyahu, about whom I have already voiced my opinion, as having to retire because of the indictments hanging over his head. Or Gideon Saar, who, as an opportunist, thought he could displace Netanyahu and therefore came out of his basement?

Should I vote for Naftali Bennett, who keeps his cards so close to his chest that I believe he would ally with anybody to gain power? Or would that leave me no choice but to place the letter for Bezalel Smotrichs Religious Zionist Party and his ally, Itamar Ben-Gvir, into the envelope? But they call their opponents dogs, and that does not sit well with me. My political and humanitarian beliefs do not allow me to support religious extremists who do not realize that we have to consider the non-Jewish world around us. That for me excludes the UTJ (United Torah Judaism) Party as well as the Shas Party.

It has always been my strong belief that it is every citizens civic duty to vote in at least general elections. You will by now have realized that I have a problem. Should I cast a protest vote for the greens of whose wider agenda I know little, or defy my own principle and abstain? Events during the next week will be decisive.

The writer, at 97, holds the Guinness World Records as the worlds oldest active journalist and oldest working radio host. He presents Walters World on Israel National Radio (Arutz 7) and The Walter Bingham File on Israel Newstalk Radio. Both are in English.

The rest is here:

Israel Elections: Why I may not vote this time - opinion - The Jerusalem Post

One in two Austrians prefers to keep their opinions to themselves, partly due to fear of being labeled an alt right, a new survey shows, as people in the Alpine land appear to grow wary of exaggerated political correctness.

An increasing need to watch ones mouth, which is in no small way influenced by modern woke trends, seems to be getting on the nerves of many Austrians, a survey commissioned by Der Standard newspaper revealed. Indeed, 57 percent of respondents said theyve grown tired of being increasingly dictatedto what they can and cannot say.

More than a half of Austrians also said that they often prefer not to express their more controversial opinions publicly, while admitting that many of their fellow citizens hold the same beliefs as they do.

According to Der Standard, supporters of the liberal Neos party or the Greens feel much less social pressure and are much more inclined to make their opinions public than the backers of the right-wing Freedom Party (FPO), who are more reluctant.

This could potentially push people into the arms of various conspiracy theorist groups, including the Querdenken an anti-lockdown movement, David Pfarrhofer, the director of the Market Research Institute which conducted the survey, said, adding that people might start to believe they would not be truly accepted elsewhere.

Pfarrhofer said that a comparable survey in Germany demonstrated similar results, with 63 percent of respondents believing there are some unwritten red lines they should not cross and 57 percent feeling irritated by being told what they can and cannot say.

Half of respondents said that one can be unjustifiably declared a right-winger in Austria and almost half said political correctness has been exaggerated. More than 40 percent believe a small elite group is defining which opinions are considered acceptable an idea Der Standard defined as a conspiracy theory.

Just over one third of respondents believe it is only possible to speak freely in private, while 29 percent consider the internet a place where one can speak ones mind freely. A striking 60 percent said its not possible to speak freely online.

Only 14 percent of Austrians believe its a good idea to change childrens books to include corrected language to conform to the modern norms of political correctness.

Still, the majority of those surveyed defined themselves as tolerant people who would have no problems with others around them holding opinions that are totally different from their own.

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Half of Austrians fear stating opinions publicly, citing over-the-top political correctness & fear of being branded alt right - RT

A Fresno police officer is under investigation after he was spotted in photos and video posted online over the weekend that appear to show him affiliating with members of the far-right Proud Boys group at a protest, according to law enforcement officials.

The officer, identified by the Fresno Bee as Rick Fitzgerald, is on paid leave as the investigation goes forward. The Fresno Police Department and mayors office declined to release the officers name, saying it would be a violation of rights afforded to members of the force.

For weeks, protesters have arrived every Sunday to decry the sale of the Tower Theater to an evangelical church that some perceive as intolerant of the gay community. The Proud Boys reportedly arrived to counter protest.

Founded amid the 2016 elections, the Proud Boys has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for espousing white nationalist views, as well as misogynistic and anti-Muslim rhetoric. The group claims they are not racist, but simply Western chauvinists opposed to political correctness, according to the law center.

After learning late Sunday afternoon that a local officer was allegedly tied to the group, Fresno Chief Police Paco Balderrama said an investigation was underway.

Any allegations of actions unbecoming of a police officer or affiliation with any alleged criminal or hate group will always be investigated and addressed, Balderrama said. Fair and impartial policing are extremely important in our society. He added that there is no place in our police ranks for any biased, racist or anti-Semitic views.

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said he also became aware of the claims Sunday afternoon when he was sent a screenshot of a social media post depicting what looked like a local police officer associating with the Proud Boys.

Dyer, who served as Fresno police chief for 18 years, called the allegations extremely disturbing in a telephone interview Tuesday.

I understand the ... impact it can have on the community in terms of loss of trust, Dyer said, adding: Rightfully so, people want answers.

The investigation will look beyond this one incident, Dyer said, to see if other officers or city employees might be implicated.

The hope is this is an aberration, Dyer said. However, I think its important that we keep an open mind and do our due diligence to make sure that theres no one else involved.

He said he hopes the investigation will be completed within 30 to 45 days, but theres no firm timeline. He has also brought on an independent police auditor, who will monitor the investigation and review the findings. The auditor can agree with the conclusions or take a different position.

The length of the investigation will depend on how many witnesses are involved and other factors, according to Lt. Robert Beckwith, a police spokesperson.

Its unclear how much of the investigation will be made public.

Generally personnel investigations are deemed confidential and the results are not made public unless required by law, Beckwith said in an email. He added that its too early to tell what information might be legally available under SB 1421, a law governing the release of police records.

Whatever can be released lawfully, will be released, Dyer said.

Read more:

Fresno police officer on leave after alleged involvement with far-right Proud Boys - Los Angeles Times

The Ripon Forum kicks off its 55th year of publication with an edition that focuses not only on the road ahead for the Republican Party, but on some of the solutions GOP leaders are putting forward to meet the challenges Americans will face in 2021.

Leading our coverage of the GOPs future are three Republicans who have have become leading voices on the subject in the weeks since the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and the subsequent impeachment of Donald Trump. The Republicans are U.S. Reps. Adam Kinzinger, Jaime Herrera Beutler, and Nancy Mace.

In separate essays for this most recent edition, each expresses strong opinions about the direction the Republican Party should take in the months ahead, and the role that the former President should play in that regard.

Where do we go from here? Kinzinger asks in his essay. Do we continue down the path of anger, vitriol, and hatred? Do we continue to pledge our allegiance to one man and cancel anyone who doesnt wholly agree? Or do we step back, take a look at this inflection point and decide we need to change course? As Kinzinger makes clear, he believes the party needs to change course. To put it bluntly, he writes, we have to move beyond Donald Trump.

Herrera Beutler strikes a similar note in her piece. In a world filled with distortion and lies based on political correctness and utopian ideas, she writes, to be a conservative is to tell the truth every day. Part of telling the truth is working to reject baseless conspiracy theories. Denying that a plane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, stating that school shootings are false flags, claiming the 2020 presidential election was stolen these lies have no place in the Republican party.

Mace agrees. We sit at a crossroads, the South Carolina first term lawmaker writes, one that could determine not only the future of the Republican Party, but the future of our country. We can either cling to the personality-driven, conflict-oriented, us-vs-them tactics of the past, or we can look forward to a party based on our future.

The future of the party is very much on the minds of four other Republicans featured in this latest edition, who in three separate essays two written individually, and one written jointly discuss some of the key challenges facing America and some of the solutions they will be putting forward in that regard. Those writing include U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas, who serves as the Republican leader of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and explains why Now is the Time to Restart and Reinvest in American Research. In addition to Lucas, U.S. Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Bob Latta, who serve as the Republican Leaders of the Energy & Commerce Committee and the E&C Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, respectively, write about the importance of Boosting Broadband Connectivity. And U.S. Rep. John Katko, who serves as GOP Leader of the Committee on Homeland Security, writes why Homeland Security is Not a Partisan Issue. Its an American Imperative.

Also writing for this latest edition of The Ripon Forum are: Jon Cowan and Matt Bennett of the Third Way, who explain why President Joe Biden is not the liberal many in the media are portraying him as. Rather, the pair write, Biden is a centrist. Bill McKenzie of the Bush Institute, who served as Editor of the Forum in the 1980s, returns to our pages with an essay about Democracies and the Reliable Flow of Information. And Jane Campbell, the President of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society, examines the fortifications that have been erected around the Capitol since the January 6th insurrection and explains why they should be taken down.

With America marking the one year anniversary of the lockdown this month, we also feature an interview with Dr. Eric Toner of Johns Hopkins about the fight against COVID-19 and the effort to vaccinate the American people as quickly as possible and bring the pandemic to an end. And in our latest Ripon Profile, we talk to Spencer Cox, the newly-elected Governor of Utah, about, among other topics, the state of political discourse in America and how things can be improved.

As always, we hope you enjoy this latest edition of The Ripon Forum, and welcome any thoughts or comments you may have.

Lou ZickarEditor of The Ripon Forumlouzickar@riponsociety.org

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In this edition - The Ripon Society