AOH Brother Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick will join victims’ relative Patsy Kelly, civil rights lawyer Niall Murphy, and justice campaigner Andree Murphy in a live webinar broadcast hosted by the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) this Saturday, June 10th, at 10 AM Eastern Time, 3 PM Irish time.

 By its appointment of former Chief Justice Declan Morgan to head its new legacy commission, the British government is clearly signaling its intention to move ahead with the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, despite overwhelming opposition by victims’ relatives, human rights campaigners, the Irish government and all major six county political parties. While British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is visiting Washington DC, victims’ relatives are making an emergency appeal for American help as their best hope to stop a bill designed to cut off legal channels for justice.

The British amnesty bill aims to discard Britain’s Stormont House Agreement on legacy mechanisms with the Irish government and end criminal cases, Historical Investigations, Inquests, civil suits or Ombudsman investigations, which could give the truth in hundreds of cases, including British crown force or collusion killings. Instead, the British want to set up an Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), which victims’ relatives fear will bury the truth along with the victims. Although the amnesty bill has not yet been passed at Westminster, the British have already announced the appointment of retired Chief Judge Declan Morgan to head the Commission.

Panelists

• Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick has been one of the leading Washington voices on Irish issues and a driving force on a series of Congressional initiatives, House Resolutions and Briefings on legacy justice. Most recently, he co-signed a strongly worded letter to British Secretary Chris Heaton Harris, expressing deep disappointment at the moves to push ahead with an amnesty bill despite the opposition of nationalist and unionist victims.
• Patsy Kelly Jr., is the son of Independent Councillor Patsy Kelly, who was abducted from work in County Tyrone and murdered in July 1974. The family has always believed the murder was carried out by members of the British Army’s Ulster Defense Regiment, and a recent Ombudsman Investigation ruled that there had been collusive behavior by the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Now the Kelly family’s 50-year fight for justice is threatened by the proposed British amnesty bill.
• Civil rights lawyer Niall Murphy will explain the legal implications of the amnesty law and how badly the law will affect families who have waited decades for truth and would be compelled to begin a long legal battle in the European Court of Human Rights.
• Andree Murphy, the Deputy Chair of Relatives for Justice, will discuss the importance of American help in the continuing political and legal battle for legacy justice.

Brother Hibernians and Friends, Currently before the Senate is a bipartisan resolution sponsored by Senators Mendez of New Jersey and Collins of Maine reaffirming U.S. support for the Good Friday Agreement. 

Twenty years on, many of the provisions of the agreement designed to cement a lasting peace in the north of Ireland have not been implemented. Now, once again, the peace wrought by this historic agreement is under threat. Several loyalist paramilitaries have recently withdrawn their support for the Good Friday Agreement, one prominent DUP politician has called for “guerrilla war” to be waged against the “Irish Protocol” implemented for the sole reason to make the Brexit that the DUP campaigned for possible; it is another example of their continuing belief that they should have their cake and eat it too. 

Currently, the U.S. Senate is in recess, which means Senators should be back in their local offices.  Currently, 13 Senators have joined them in co-sponsored the bill (Mr. Menendez, Ms. Collins, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Leahy, Mr.Markey, Mr. Coons, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Schumer, Ms. Cantwell, Mr.Casey, Mr. Booker, Mr. Kaine, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Cardin, And Mr.Reed). How much more powerful would this important message of the priority that the U.S. place on the peace process be if it had more sponsors and greater bipartisanship?  For the cause of a just peace in Ireland, we call upon you brothers to take ten minutes of your time and call your two senators as follows: 

• Please call both your Senators
• Their contact details may be found on the AOH website at https://aoh.com/political-education/elected-representative-lookup/ .  
• Enter your zip code and links to your Senators websites will be given
• Please find and call their local office (do not call their Washington Office as thy are on break).
• Ask to speak to the Senators Aide on Foreign Affairs
• On getting the Aide or “Can I take a Message”:
• If your Senator in one of the 15 above who are already on the Resolution, thank them for their support.
• If your Senator is not currently a sponsor, ask him/her to sing onto the resolution. Feel free to use your own words, but a sample script is below:

My name is ________, and I am a constituent of the Senators from (town). As a proud Irish American and Member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, I am deeply concerned about recent threats to the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process in Northern Ireland. All Americans can take just pride in helping bring peace to Northern Ireland and we cannot see that noble legacy squandered or the peace of Northern Ireland threatened. Senators Menendez and Collins are putting forward Senate Resolution 117 “A resolution expressing support for the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement” which is being co-sponsored by several of your Senate colleagues. In addition to voting for the measure when it comes to the floor, I would like to ask Senator (name) to please sign on to the bill as a co-sponsor and help send a clear message that peace in Northern Ireland is a priority to the people of (state) and America. 

Thank you in advance for your support of this important initiative

Neil Cosgrove Political Education Chairman

The Ancient Order of Hibernians, America’s Largest Irish Organization, once again note, that Amazon continues to peddle prejudice for profit in selling merchandise that demeans and denigrates the Irish and Irish American. In a year when the Irish American community is again being asked to to forego their traditional St. Patrick’s Day celebrations out of respect for the health and welfare of the broader population amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, we find the sale by Amazon of items with the phrase “F(expletive) St. Patrick’s Day” inexcusably tone-deaf and insensitive. 

This is just another example of a long and continuing pattern of diversity duplicity by Amazon regarding the Irish. Besides shirts with “F(expletive) St. Patrick’s Day,” Amazon also sells hundreds of items with the phrase “F(expletive) me I’m Irish.”

Another search on Amazon returns a list of 180 items with the phrase “Irish Girl Wasted” and “Yes, I’m an Irish Girl, I Speak Fluent Drunk.” Is it not the definition of an oxymoron for Amazon to sell these demeaning items while simultaneously claiming to advocate for respect and empowerment for women in the tech industry? Amazon continues to sell hundreds of other products denigrating those of Irish Heritage with messages such as “Irish Today Hungover Tomorrow, “Irish, Drunk, or Whatever, ” and “Drink Till You’re Irish. “

As our society attempts to address the challenge of divisiveness in the 21st century, the continued sale by Amazon of merchandise perpetuating the negative ethnic-based tropes and stereotypes of the 19^th is callously irresponsible.

Amazon has already established ample precedent in removing items that other communities have found offensive. Currently, over 8,000 people have signed a petition asking Amazon to remove its “F(expletive) St. Patrick’s Day” and other defaming merchandise targeting those of Irish heritage.  We ask why Amazon is deaf to the Irish American community’s call for the basic courtesy of equal respect and colorblind when the target of the hateful stereotypes they are selling is green?

Brothers:

As we approach March 2021, the fact that our communities are still battling the COVID-19 pandemic will make many of our traditional celebrations of our Irish heritage through parades and public events untenable for a second consecutive year.  While it may not be noted in the mainstream media, we know that this pandemic has hit our community hard.  Many of our brothers and sisters in the hospitality industry have lost family businesses that kept the Irish tradition alive across generations.  Many of our cultural institutions, schools of Irish dance, and music will be deprived of the fundraising activities that they usually engage in during March.  When we finally come out of COVID-19 we, as Hibernians and Irish Americans, must rededicate ourselves to rebuilding the institutions that have kept our heritage, traditions, and culture alive.

The first step in that process is recognizing the issue, the need for action, and the light of hope.  Therefore, I am asking all of you to make an extra effort to see Irish American Heritage Month formally proclaimed in your state and communities.  Sadly, as evidenced in last year’s notice that St. Patrick’s day events were to be restricted it became clear that many of our elected leaders have no clue of the significance of the day; to many it appeared that St. Patrick’s day was little more than a party that could be “celebrated next year”.  “Next year” has now come, and it is only right and proper that these elected officials publicly acknowledge the impact to our heritage and mitigate the void left in their proscribing public celebrations for a second year by them publicly and visibly  acknowledging the contributions that generations of Irish American men and women have made.   

For your convenience as a starting point, I have included a template letter for you to send to your Governor and State Legislators (see links at bottom); please feel free to modify it to adapt it to reflect your local community and your voice.  Given, that mail is often delayed by screening; please consider faxing if that is an option open to you.

I also ask again that you please consider reaching out to your local media to ensure that there is coverage of Irish American Heritage Month and that the contributions of the Irish are not allowed to fade away.  Making lemonade out of lemons, what a great opportunity to focus on the reasons behind Irish American Heritage Month and St. Patrick’s Day and promote the contributions of the Irish in the community, specifically the AOH.

Many of us likely remember celebrations of other ethnic communities that are no longer held; we must take the lesson, guard ours, and build the foundation to come back stronger than ever.

Neil Cosgrove

National Irish American Heritage Month Chair

Example Letter

Word Format PDF Format

Our Hibernian oath calls us to action “If a brother should be defamed, or be treated unjustly, I will espouse his cause, give him the earliest possible advice and aid him when in distress.”  We need to give action to these noble words in the case of Brother Malachy McAllister, who is facing deportation this Friday, June 5, 2020.  

As a youth, as were many of his generations during “The Conflict” Malachy was arrested and incarcerated contrary to any recognized standard of due process. Malachy fulfilled his sentence, being released early for good behavior. Despite having foresworn violence and dedicating himself to peacefully raising his family, Malachy was targeted by members of a loyalist paramilitary who sprayed his home with submachine gunfire, narrowly missing his innocent children and mother-in-law who were the only occupants of the house at the time.  

Brother McAllister has created two successful job-producing businesses, and, due to the untimely death of his first wife, has raised two families with children and grandchildren, who are U.S. citizens. 

As so many fleeing violence and persecution from so many countries have successfully done before, Malachy fled to the United States seeking asylum. Since entering the United States, Brother McAllister has complied with all U.S, legal procedures. During the process, Brother McAllister has created two successful job-producing businesses, and, due to the untimely death of his first wife, has raised two families with children and grandchildren, who are U.S. citizens. Following in the footsteps of so many previous Irish immigrants, Malachy has shown his gratitude to his adopted country by being a productive and contributing member of the community.  

I would implore — the Attorney General to exercise his discretion and permit this deserving family to stay.”

Judge Maryann Trump Barry, Sister to the President

Throughout Malachy’s asylum application and appeals process, Judges have expressed their frustration that their rulings were constrained by laws that did not anticipate a scenario such as the McAllister family. This frustration articulated eloquently by Judge Maryann Trump Barry, the President’s sister, who stated in her ruling:  

“It simply should not be that particularly in the circumstances such as those we now have before us, the individual and his individuality are large, if not entirely, irrelevant, lost in a sea of dispositive definitions and harsh and complex laws. And we cannot be the country we should be if, because of the tragic events of September 11, we knee-jerk remove decent men and women merely because they may have erred at one point in their lives. We should look a little closer; we should care a little more. I would ask — no, I would implore — the Attorney General to exercise his discretion and permit this deserving family to stay.”

We ask each member to take 5 minutes to help another Brother by calling the White House switchboard asking President Trump to head his sister’s call to let the McAllister family stay in the United States. If you are on social media, please tweet or share our Twitter message to the President. Example texts of both messages are below.

In our Motto,    

James F. McKay National President

Email the White House

Since the original Call to Action went out, we have been advised that the White House switchboard will not be active for the foreseeable future.  We theredfore encourage you to email the White House with your support for Malachy.

  To send an email to the President simply follow the steps below

1. Access the contact the White House Web Page at “www.whitehouse.gov/contact“.
2. On the Form, for “Message Type” select “Contact the President”
3. Fill out the remaining fields for your name, address, etc.,
4. In the box “What would you like to say?”; just copy and past:
   • “I am making an urgent appeal to President Trump, who has been supportive in the past, to prevent the June 5 deportation of Malachy McAllister, an ardent supporter of the Irish Peace process, who, as a law-abiding resident of the U.S. for 24 years, has become a job creator and essential member of our Irish American community. This effort has received support from bipartisan members of Congress and Cardinal Dolan.  Last Thanksgiving, President Trump stated his desire  to see a permanent resolution to Mr. McAllister’s effort to stay in the USA.  As an active Irish American voter, I implore our President to keep Malachy here. Thank you.”

Twitter post:

@RealDonaldTrump only you can prevent the June 5th deportation of Malachy McAllister,supporter of GFA,24yr law-abiding US resident,job creator,community leader. Judge Trump Barry cited the injustice in deporting McAllister. Mr President keep Malachy here.@WhiteHouse @HelpMalachy

AOH Divisions to Help Local Food Bank’s

Brothers,
We are calling on all divisions, large and small, to support your local Food Bank’s!

Traditional donations of product to food banks isn’t the best way to help during COVID 19.

DONATIONS OF MONEY OVER PRODUCT WILL BE MORE PRODUCTIVE. Financial donations will get the most bang for your buck as local food banks work with manufacturers, retailers and even farmers to obtain healthy food at the best price.

Q: With schools closed, how are children getting meals?

1: Nearly 55 million students are out of school as districts across the country shut down to curb the spread of COVID-19. And that means millions of children aren’t eating the meals they’d normally have during the day. But food banks have stepped in to fill the gap

. Many are working with schools to offer drive-through distributions, adding mobile pantries and offering expanded to-go meal options for kids and families.

Food Banks depend on food donations from local grocers, retailers, local gardens, food drives and cash donations and from community organizations. This is where our AOH Boards come into the picture. Our motto is Friendship, Unity, and True Christian Charity. It is our duty to step up in this time of emergency to help feed those out of work families. And the out of the school children without the food they miss because their schools are closed during this epidemic.

Brothers, it is our duty to open the check books and help with financial assistance for the Food Banks who have come forward to provide substance to our needy hungry neighbors.
Being Irish, we know from our forefathers the anguish of hunger. Let’s make our hunger donations to your local Food Banks in the memory of the millions who died in Ireland from the potato blight and the greed and indifference of our English landlords.

Share the Hibernian Success Story about your division efforts so others may share in your excellence.

2) Partner with your local school districts and governments to assure the children in your area have access to food outside of the classroom.

Your members are probably scattered all around your local districts. Put them to work. Have them contact the schools and their local government offices, to determine the status of the schools in their jurisdiction. Create a list of the closed schools. Share with your appropriate members who live in or close to those locations.
The government offices should know of any local Food Banks. Any members who reside close to any of the Food Banks, have them contact and if possible, meet with their management, reporting the findings back to your board. The local AOH Board should have a list of the criteria they desire from any Food Bank prior to deciding on a donation.

3) Each AOH Board host a virtual “Food Drive” for your local Food Bank

Hosting a Food Drive for your local Food Bank will require some sensible planning and execution. It will require an available File Server. Your own virtual Food Drive will include customized features:
This full-featured Custom Campaign Manager allows you to quickly create virtually unlimited sponsor-specific virtual Food Drives, allowing you to host corporate challenge fundraising campaigns within minutes.
Your choice of shelf “items” including images, names and prices.
‘Meals Provided” calculation based on your current pounds-per-dollar average.
“Savings” calculation based on your cost versus the donors.
Your Food Bank branding.
Appropriate Background image showing local skyline or geography.
Custom disclaimer and contact information at the bottom of the page.

4) Share the Hibernian Success Story about your division efforts so others may share in your excellence.

Over the years the AOH have recognized outstanding performance by AOH brothers and boards. I know as Hibernians we do not seek rewards for our dedication to the many causes that we undertake. This period in our lives is unique due to the many difficulties to our family, friends and neighbors.

As we step up to help those poor souls who need our assistance, we are just doing what is expected from good Christians. As Hibernians whose ancestors back in the 1800’s in Ireland experienced a catastrophe on a greater scale. The people of the USA were one of the few nations in the world to ship food to Ireland in the hope that it would bring relieve to those starving thousands. While we never forget it, we have the same empathy of our American forefathers to come to the aid of those suffering hunger.

“The Chief source whence the means at our disposal were derived was the munificent bounty of the citizens of the United States. The supplies sent from America to Ireland were on a scale unparalleled in history.”
From – Paddy’s Lament by Thomas Gallagher

Brothers,

As we are all aware, many businesses have been forced to suspend all, or part of their operations during the Covid-19 Pandemic. One of the businesses forced to do so is The Irish Echo. The Irish Echo has been a great friend to not only the Ancient Order of Hibernian’s, but they have been a great friend to the entire Irish American Community. For the next couple of months, The Irish Echo has been forced to suspend their print edition. However, The Irish Echo is still available every week by way of a digital edition. Please consider supporting The Irish Echo by becoming a subscriber to this digital edition.

Please visit their website at www.IrishEcho.com and click the digital edition. Subscriptions begin at $5.00 per month.

2) Is there anything you need help with? Groceries, etc. *arrange help if necessary.

3) Discuss Hibernian Success Stories, Past events etc.

4) Talk about future events

5) Talk about all things Irish. Travel to Ireland. Travel to AOH events.

Goal:   Every Hibernian has a conversation with another Hibernian at least once a week. Multiple conversations are great, one call, one discussion, with each Hibernian is necessary

Brothers:

We are less than 90 days out from a climatic point in the history of the world which will remake the map of Europe and have dramatic consequences for our brothers and sister in Ireland: Brexit. The current Brexit deadline is October 31^st, and newly elected Prime Minister Johnson has threatened that unless the European Union accedes to Britain’s demands they will leave without a deal, “a hard Brexit.” The economic disruption of a “hard Brexit” will touch every corner of the world, including the United States, and nowhere will the impact be more keenly felt than Ireland where Britain has its only land border with the E.U..

For over twenty years, thanks to the United States brokered Good Friday Agreement, the Irish border has existed only on maps. Thirty-five thousand people seamlessly cross the border daily to work, school, or seek medical care. Military checkpoints and razor wire have given way to bridges of understanding which are helping the border fade into history like the centuries of bloody conflict that once defined it. It is for this reason that the people of Northern Ireland of all communities rejected Brexit by 56%.

An even greater risk to the Irish peace process is that senior British officials are now stating that to implement Brexit it shall be necessary for Britain to resume exclusive and direct rule in Northern Ireland. A repartitioning of Ireland, the ignoring of a clear mandate to reject Brexit, a return to direct rule from Westminster, and a devastated economy will create a breeding ground for violence.

Sadly, recent statements by senior U.S. officials of “unwavering commitment” “however Brexit shakes out” shows that many American government officials are unaware of the consequences of Brexit to the Irish people and a proud U.S. Good Friday Agreement legacy.

As both Hibernians and Americans, we cannot let this happen. As Americans we believe people and governments should honoring their commitments, as Hibernians we can not let the Irish people become acceptable collateral damage to Brexit. The Irish people have as equal a birthright to self-determination, peace, and security as do the British; America has a historical “special relationship” of friendship with Ireland far older than that with Britain.  

It is for this reason Brothers, we ask your help

• Currently, Senate and Congressional Representative are back in their districts while the Capital is in recess.
• We ask every state board to meet with their two Senators and every Hibernians to meet with their Congressional Representative to personally present a letter stating your concern for the damage which Brexit is doing to the peace process, and to ask the Senator/Representative to send a letter to Secretary of State Pompeo and British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab stating their opposition to any form of Brexit which would lead to a physical border in Ireland or result in a return to direct rule.
  • We have created a tool for you to look up your representatives contact info on the AOH website, https://aoh.com/political-education/elected-representative-lookup/. Click the link to their webpage to find the local office near you.
  • We have created a template letter for you to use, though you are certainly free to write your own. The template may be found here.  Note that areas which need personalization are called out in red and need replacement based on your local official
  • The “personal touch” makes the most significant impact. With heightened security, standard mail takes weeks to be delivered; email is to easy to ignore.
• We ask that all responses from your representative be reported back so that the National may give proper recognition to those who heard and acted on this urgent call.

Brothers, I frequently cite the quote “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”; there is no better test of the wisdom of this observation than the current Brexit situation and I pray you will not let evil triumph at the price of a few moments of your time.

Brothers; the election of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister signals that we are nearing the climax of the Brexit saga. Mr. Johnson has made clear that he intends to take the United Kingdom out of the E.U. by October 31st even if it means a hard Brexit of leaving the E.U. without a deal. The key issue is the “Irish Backstop” which would mean that the U.K. would maintain regulatory alignment with the E.U. until another means was found to maintain the currently notional border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. Mr. Johnson and fellow Brexiters want the “Backstop” provision removed, for despite expending a lot of breath speaking on ‘technological” and other pixie dust solutions to the border they know that such solutions do not exist and they risk being stuck in the Backstop interminably. Their end goal is to put a time limit on the backstop and then simply run the clock.
From an Irish perspective, this raises two key issues:

• 1. First “a border in Ireland is a border in Ireland” irrespective if it comes from a hard Brexit or as a result of appeasers willingly sacrificing Ireland for their own national interests. The open border that resulted from the U.S. brokered Good Friday Agreement has been fundamental to two decades of peace in Ireland after thirty years of violent conflict; facilitating the building of trust and sharing of prosperity between the communities of Ireland. A British border in Ireland will disrupt everything from businesses whose product lifecycles cross a now invisible border multiple times to basic everyday activities such as students attending schools and people seeking medical treatment. It should also be remembered that the community of Northern Ireland, Catholic and Protestant, Republican and Unionist, rejected Brexit by 56%.

• 2. It is unrealistic to think that the United Kingdom would pursue a drastic change with a collapsed devolved government in Northern Ireland. There is a very real possibility that Northern Ireland may return to direct rule under the pretext of “in light of the current (self-made) crisis and the good of the nation”. Direct rule would effectively freeze the now glacially slow progress on fulfilling the Good Friday Agreement
  Taken together it is clear that the Good Friday Agreement and a proud U.S. legacy in the cause of peace are under serious threat.

It is for this reason that the Hibernians are very concerned by a recent letter by Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas and signed by 44 other Senators that pledged “unwavering support” to the United Kingdom “irrespective of how Brexit occurs”. We have responded to Senator Cotton and his co-signatories stating that “unwavering support” at the cost of the peace and prosperity of Ireland and the U.S. legacy of the Good Friday Agreement is too high a price.

In fairness, we believe that many of the Senators who signed the letter, and many others, still do not appreciate the collateral damage that Brexit will inflict in Ireland. It is here Brothers we ask your support. At this time of year Senators and Congressional Representatives are in their home offices; it is imperative that we take this opportunity as constituents to educate our elected representatives. We will be sending out a template for discussion with your representatives in the next few days.
As Hibernians we have nothing against trade deals, and if the British people wish to leave the E.U. that is their right; however, we oppose seeing the Irish people and a seminal U.S. diplomatic achievement being sacrificed on the altar of Brexit expediency. We cannot support the blank check that Senator Cotton proposes giving Britain in supporting Brexit “however it occurs”.

Congressman Brendan Boyle has introduce a resolution, H.Res.88 , expressing the opposition of the House of Representatives to the impositions of a hard border in Ireland. We ask you to reach out to your local Congressional Representative and ask them to co-sponsor and support this resolution. Broad, bi-partisan support for Congressman Boyle’s resolution will send a clear message that the US is watching developments in Ireland and will not tolerate the interests of the Irish people being sacrificed for Brexit.

You may find details on how to contact your Congressional Representative here https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative. You may find a sample dialogue to use in contacting your congressional representative here, but you are of course at liberty to use your own words.

A 5 minute phone call to our elected representatives in the cause of the peace and security of Ireland is a small thing to ask in support of the land of our ancestors

It has been 676 days since the US has had an Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland. In that time, over seventy ambassadorial appointments have been made. It is simply unacceptable given the historic relationship between the United States and Ireland and the countless contributions of Ireland’s sons and daughters to America that this post has been vacant so long. Additionally, in this time of Brexit it is in America’s best interest to strengthen its ties to Ireland as, with the departure of England, it will be the only predominantly English speaking country in the EU. 

A worthy candidate for Ambassador, Mr. Edward Crawford of Ohio, has been put forth by the president. He must undergo a hearing by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before his nomination is brought to the Senate floor for confirmation. There is a limited window for Mr. Crawford to be approved before the Senate recesses. If Mr. Crawford is not approved before the recess, there may be a significant delay as the Senate reorganizes itself based on the recent elections.   Frankly, we have waited long enough for a US Ambassador to Ireland and must work to expedite the process.

I, therefore, ask if your Senator(s) are listed below that you call their office (phone number listed) as soon as possible advocating for a quick confirmation of Ed Crawford as US Ambassador to Ireland. A suggested dialogue is provided to guide your conversation with the Senator’s office (you may, of course, wish to use your own words). 

The call should take no more than 15 minutes but could have a lasting impact on US/Ireland Relations. It will once again affirm the Hibernians as “The Voice of Irish America.”

I thank you and your brothers in advance for their time and consideration.

Yours in the Spirit of the Order

Neil F. Cosgrove

National PEC Chair

Senators on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Example Phone Conversation

You: Hello, my name is ___ (your name) __. I’m a constituent of Senator __ (Senator’s Name) __from ____ (hometown) ____. Could I please speak to the Legislative Assistant who handles Foreign Affairs?

Congressional Office: “Hi, this is XXXX, how can I help you?” or “That person is unavailable, may I take a message?”

You: My name is ___ (your name) __ a constituent from ___(hometown) ____. I’m calling to ask that the Senator as a member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee support the swift confirmation of Mr. Edward Crawford as Ambassador to Ireland.  As an Irish American and member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, I am very concerned that in the time of Brexit the United States does not have an Ambassador to Ireland. Given that when the UK leaves the European Union Ireland will be the only English speaking nation within the EU, and the long-standing friendship between America and Ireland it is of vital national interest that we have a US Ambassador in Ireland without further delay.”

Congressional Office: I will let the Senator know that we talked and advise him/her of your interest.

You: Thank you for your time. I hope that Senator XXXX will support this much-needed appointment. May I get your email so that I can follow up with you on this issue? Thank you again.

There are many political pundits who question whether there is still an

Our ancestors came to this nation to have what they did not have at home in Ireland; an equal voice in their government. In appreciation of that right thousands of Irish Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Before any complain of the inconvenience of taking  half an hour out of their day once a year to vote, compare that to the inconvenience of freezing in the snows of Valley Forge, Bastogne, Chosin or sweating in the heat of Guadalcanal, Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan.  They were not “too busy” to defend our right to vote, in their honor we should never be “too busy” to exercise that hard won right.

Please take the time to vote and encourage your family members likewise. if you are aware of a Brother or Sister who may have difficulty getting to the polls consider offering them a ride. The “government of the people, by the people, for the people” shall indeed perish from the earth and deservedly so if we our apathetic in our duty to vote.    

Despite repeated attempts to engage in meaningful discussion with Amazon they continue to sell products that defame our Irish heritage.  Amazon often positions itself as a progressive, diverse, forward thinking company; this only makes their promoting products that denigrate Irish Americans more outrageous as it sends a clear message that they do not consider our heritage worthy of the courtesy they freely extend others.   The hypocrisy of  them promoting themselves as empowering women through sponsorship of “Girls that Code” while profiting off of shirts that say “Kiss me I’m an Irish Girl Wasted” is glaring.   That they should trivialize the carnage of the troubles by describing an “Irish Car Bomb Shirt” as “funny” and “cute” is reprehensible.

We ask you to please consider signing the below petition.  When you sign a letter shall be sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos telling him these products promoting 18th-century bigoted anti-Irish Stereotypes have no place in 21st century America.  We do not ask for the Irish to be treated better than anyone else, but we demand they be treated no worse.

The proposed model for the stamp would have illustrations of the Declaration of Independence and the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic flanking the Light of Liberty under a banner containing the words “Liberty’s Legacy.”

  A sample letter may be found HERE.  Certainly such a worthy project is worth a few minutes time and a stamp to see that the rebirth of the Irish Nation, a constant friend to the United States,  is celebrated.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians denounces Florida’s recent decision to rescind its commitment to the MacBride Principles and the continued pursuit of justice and peace for the people of Northern Ireland.

Per National AOH Political Education Chair Neil F. Cosgrove:

The Seventeen years of relative peace in Northern Ireland that have resulted from the Good Friday Agreement have lulled the state of Florida into complacency as indicated by the state’s  renunciation of the MacBride Principles. Governor Scott and the legislature apparently fail to realize that the Good Friday Agreement that suspended one of history’s bloodiest conflicts was a direct byproduct of the MacBride Principles and the principles remain today one of the agreements chief safeguards. Florida’s  premature repeal of the MacBride Principles only weakens the hope of a lasting peace in Northern Ireland.  As previously stated by Brendan Moore, National President of the Ancient Order of Hibernians: “Irish America is shocked that the elected leaders of the State of Florida would now abandon Florida’s staunch support for fair employment practices in still-troubled Northern Ireland.”                     

The root causes of “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland trace back to when the Catholic population of Northern Ireland, inspired by America’s civil rights struggle, sought to end institutionally sanctioned discrimination. It was when peaceful civil rights marchers, whose demands were only fair access to employment, housing and equal government representation, were attacked by Unionists supported by the police, military and intelligence organs of the British state that “the Troubles” began.  The MacBride Principles were put forth in 1984 to address the causes of the violence at their social justice roots. The nine MacBride Principles call for fair labor practices that protect all residents of Northern Ireland irrespective of religion or political beliefs.  Many states, including Florida in 1988, saw the MacBride Principles as articulating core American values of justice and made adherence to the MacBride Principles a precondition  for any firm in Northern Ireland seeking business or investment. This moral commitment by America helped yield the historic Good Friday Agreement .

For the governor and the legislature of Florida to unilaterally declare that the promise of a lasting peace has been achieved in Northern Ireland making the need for the MacBride Principles moot is premature and shows a dangerous  lack of knowledge of the fragility of the Northern Ireland peace.  Unemployment in Northern Ireland for those between the ages of 18-24, the key demographic of “the Troubles”, is still 21% and issues of fairness in hiring remain.  Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers has recently said the situation for the current Northern Ireland devolved government “looks increasingly grim,” raising the specter of a collapse of the Northern Irish Government and a return to direct rule from England.

With peace so close and yet so fragile, this is the wrong time for America, any part of America, to signal that peace and justice in Northern Ireland is no longer a priority. The MacBride Principles encapsulate nothing more than the deeply held American values of justice and opportunity. When Florida adopted the MacBride Principles in 1988, they were making a clear and powerful statement of their belief in these fundamental values, values that were not for sale or to be compromised for the sake of financial gain.   Certainly the peace and lives of Northern Ireland  are a greater return than the monetary profits that may be realized on a non-MacBride compliant investment.

Now AOH Member and Polar Plunge organizer Jim Shaw has been called upon by his Parish to help Save The Seraphs. The Mater Dei Prep High School in New Monmouth, NJ is threatened with closure unless they can raise $1,000,000 in 60 days.

Shaw and other concerned alumni organized SeraphFund.org to restructure the school and raise the needed cash.  Watch the Mater Dei Seraph Video and consider helping to Save the Seraphs! Keep the Seraphs in your prayers as we refuse to allow another Catholic School to close.

For immediate release

3/03/2015
New City, New York – 3/03/15 – The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH)

The Ancient Order of Hibernians condemns Walmart for not addressing the legitimate concerns of Irish Americans and continuing to sell denigrating and defaming merchandise caricaturing and ridiculing Irish heritage and culture. The Hibernians find this particularly offensive given the deference and sensitivity Walmart has previously shown other heritages; a respect and courtesy that it appears Walmart consciously chooses to withhold from the Irish.

Per AOH National Anti-Defamation Chairman Neil Cosgrove:

“We find the recent response by a Walmart spokesman to Irish Americans such as Mr. Kevin Westley who have expressed their indignation at the defaming Walmart products targeting Irish Americans reprehensible. For Walmart to attempt to cloak the sale of these offensive items in a patina of “noble service” by claiming that “millions of customers want choices and the retailer traditionally offers novelty items for St. Patrick’s Day” is both outrageous and given recent Walmart history hypocritical.

The Hibernians and the Irish American community do not seek special treatment for their heritage, just the same dignity and respect that is accorded others; the Irish American community deserves and will accept nothing less. That Walmart seeks to profit from defaming stereotypes and distasteful tropes targeting Irish Americans during March, Irish American Heritage Month, when we celebrate the countless contributions made by Irish American men and women to our nation is shameful.“

The Ancient Order of Hibernians calls upon its members and all who believe that in the 21st century there is no place for the selective and biased promotion of defaming ethnic based stereotypes by Walmart to boycott Walmart for the month of March and to call 1-800-WALMART (925-6278) to voice their objection. We also ask them to share this call to action with their friends on Social Media with the hashtag #SayNoToWalmartInMarch

Neil F. Cosgrove, National Anti-Defamation Chairman

Ancient Order of Hibernians

Neil.Cosgrove@AOH.com