Back Home To Ireland!

There is a strong belief among people of Irish descent that Ireland is of course their true homeland. Much of this is related to their family heritage and the bonds and history that grew from stories told by  family members. Many have had the expierience of hearing of the struggles, hardships and the trips themselves directly from parents, grandparents or aunts and uncles who traveled from Ireland to the United States in the late 1800's or the early 1900's. I am lucky to be one of those. So I recently made the trip back home to Ireland. I just returned and thought I would share some of what I saw.

I traveled on a tour with a group of 32 other folks. It took us through many of the sights and sounds of Dublin and then County Clare. We also visited the Aran Islands. It was a fascinating trip and I got to see up close the land of my heritage. Ireland truly is a beautiful country. The sea coast and the countryside are filled with outstanding sights as well as over 40 shades of green I'm sure. The geography is both rugged and warm. Archeological sites dot the land almost wherever you go. Abbeys and castles, some hundreds and others thousands of years old. Stone walls plotting out ownership of fields and marking pastures but not necessarily stopping sheep or cows from wandering.

Tourism dominates the economy of Ireland today. That same economy has taken a nose dive from the boom that took place a few years ago. Unemployment is running at around 14% and government cuts are being felt by everyone with more cuts coming. But tourism does continue and thrive from what I could see. The streets of major villages and cities are filled with people either visiting for the first time or returning on a holiday and all seem to be treated equally well by local people.

Galway is a fun place to be on a Sunday afternoon. Street performers are up and down Quay Street. Vendors and artisans also set up shop selling jewelry, food and handcrafted items of all sorts. The pubs are full and offer good food, drink and conversation. Honestly, no one is a stranger from what I saw. It is easy to get service, advice, directions or opinions on just about anything from both employees and fellow customers.

Ah the pubs. They certainly are the focal point in every place that we visited. Food, drink, conversation and music all flow from these gathering places. The music is wonderful. Most of what I saw was traditional but there is a mix of celtic rock, jazz and blues that can be found along the way. The pub music made me wonder why we don't do more of that in this country. Basically musicians meeting up in the late evening to play with each other, to share techniques in a public setting. Little jam sessions mixed in with conversation and camaraderie. A reserved table is set aside after the evening meal and a fiddler, guitar player, drum, pipe and accordion or some mix of them all, begin showing up to take their turns leading or playing a tune. Most of the time musicians buy their own drinks and interact among themselves. From what I could tell, these folks play for the love of the music, the tradition and the development of their own skills. It's a lot of fun to watch.

But the real purpose and foundation of my trip to Ireland was a return to my heritage. A quest to understand the struggles and motivations of the inhabitants of this beautiful island in the sea. My grandmother was a Kelly from the small village of Ballyfarnon in County Roscommon. It is the northern most village in Roscommon and is right on the border of Sligo. She, like millions of others, left family and home to travel to America as a young woman. She had very little in her possession when she left and probably not much of an idea of what she would encounter. I am still trying to retrace her experience but she most likely embarked from Queenstown and its harbor of tears along with so many others who were looking for a new and better life across the ocean. She arrived at Ellis Island and began her life in a new and different land. She became a cleaning woman first in NYC and eventually at a hunting and fishing club in eastern Pennsylvania where she met a local farmer turned hunting guide, my grandfather. They married and moved to New Jersey where she continued to work cleaning rooms and offices. He got a job in a mailroom as a clerk through one of his contacts at the hunting and fishing club. They raised a family of two daughters and a son.

I grew up listening to my mother and my grandmother telling stories about that life, about that home far away from which my grandmother came. As far as I know, she never saw her parents again. She never traveled back home. But she followed the news of the 'troubles' and the fight for independence. I know she yearned for the countryside and the traditions and language of her homeland. At the same time she was very proud of her new home and country. She watched her family grow and succeed and she knew how wonderful and strange it was for all of that to happen. That's the heritage and the experience that brought me back home to Ireland

Labor Day 2012 - Cesar Chavez

Yesterday was Labor Day. I am often reminded of the days of migrant farm workers struggling for their families and their rights in the 60's. Living in upstate NY I see issues related to migrant labor and illegal and legal immigration almost everyday. Vineyards and orchards are cared for and picked by today's farm workers. The issues are a little different. In the 60's no one was talking about or much cared about where these workers came from. They came and went across our borders. The issue then was pure money. These folks could be paid less then others and could be exploited in other ways because they were poor, away from home and unprotected.

Today hard working migrants are a bit more protected and are paid minimally, service worker wages. Every once in awhile you hear arguments about how they are taking jobs from Americans. But when investigated, few others will take these jobs. Farmers cry out for laborers and no one comes.

Cesar Chavez was another non violent hero from that time. He understood and utilized the symbolism and effectiveness of non violent protest. He utilized fasting and economic boycotts. He knew the exploitation. He knew the work. He knew the industry. He was influenced by Dorothy Day and he impacted the politics of the time. He fought hard and labored hard but the struggle obviously continues. - JW

César Chávez, 1927-1993, was an American farm worker of Mexican descent and the embodiment of a Christian laborer who coupled his leadership, organizing skills and his spirituality to non-violently promote the dignity and rights of workers.  This year marks the 50th anniversary of this labor and civil rights leader having founded with Dolores Huerta (Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient, 2012) the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers.  -  The Faith and Politics Institute

United Farm Workers Prayer

Written by Cesar Chavez

Show me the suffering of the most miserable, so I may know my people's plight.  Free me to pray for others, for you are present in every person.  Help me to take responsibility for my own life, so that I can be free at last.  Grant me courage to serve others, for in service there is true life.  Give me honesty and patience, so that I can work with other workers.  Bring forth song and celebration, so that the Spirit will be alive among us.  Let the Spirit flourish and grow, so that we will never tire of the struggle.  Let us remember those who have died for justice, for they have given us life.  Help us love even those who hate us, so we can change the world.  Amen. 

Now The Democrats Turn

Well the Republicans had their chance last week and pretty much blew it. From the mean spiritedness to Clint Eastwood, who in my opinion, seemed to be working as a double agent of some sort, making Obama's day.

As I said, there is a mean spiritedness that just comes through in both the speeches and on the faces of the Republicans. The poor - read welfare - the sick, the disabled, all seem to be at fault or worse yet just people to be ignored.

So now the Democrats will go at it. They are a different crowd. You can see it in all of their actions. From feeling comfortable in their crazy hats and outfits to cheering, chanting and booing. They seem to have more fun. But fun isn't the issue this time around. Millions are unemployed, families are losing their homes and a health crises always seems to be looming.

And then there's foreign policy, hardly touched in Tampa last week. The war in Iraq was ended under this President but we seem to have just shifted from there to Afghanistan. Iran seems to be next with some shouting for a preemptive strike. I hope some sanity prevails. It seems to be taking a long time for people to realize that in this day and age, war isn't an option anymore. Forget the moral arguments (for now). It just isn't any kind of practical solution to global problem solving.

There's also the environment. Whether it's fracking and gas drilling or climate change and natural resources, there are certainly enough challenges for all of us.

So the Democrats have their job cut out for them. There's lots to cover and people seem to be pretty sick of nothing getting done.