Friday, March 21, 2008

A kick in the teeth for Irish in America

(Letters from the Irish Independent. People DO care!!!)

I find it hard to believe that the Taoiseach's remarks in Washington on the issue of illegal Irish immigrants in the US were deliberately contrived to damage their prospects of achieving legal status.

So I can only conclude that his comments on a potential amnesty were a display of his own monumental ignorance of the aims of the immigration reform lobby.

They have never sought an amnesty for Irish illegal immigrants.

They are aware that by doing so, they would likely alienate their key supporters in the US Congress.

The only people who have talked up the prospects of an amnesty have been the opponents of relevant immigration reform.

These include Democratic Party candidate Senator Barack Obama and his backers in the large US labour unions.

They deliberately raised it as a tactic to scare away the moderate support which the McCain/Kennedy plan had in Congress.

By raising this non-issue once more, the Taoiseach has given grist to the mill of the opponents of immigration reform.

Simultaneously he has delivered a kick in the teeth to the Irish in America, on St Patrick's Day, of all days.

BARRY WALSH

CLONTARF , DUBLIN 3

> I wish to make some observations about the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's comments (Irish Independent, March 18) on illegal Irish in America.

I spent a summer in Boston some years back, and I did not know or hear of any unemployed, illegal Irish person.

You may say that they have to work because they will not receive any benefits from the US government.

However, it was my experience that the kind of people who made their way to the United States only seem to want to work hard.

And they are doing jobs most Americans would prefer not to do.

The United States is more than happy to turn a blind eye to the Irish who do the hard labour illegally and contribute to an economy that the Irish have helped build over generations.

Maybe instead rolling over for the Americans, the Taoiseach could bring up the tiny issue of illegal rendition flights landing on Irish soil at Shannon Airport.

KEVIN THOMAS

BALDOYLE, DUBLIN 13

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

of course he misunderstood.
he only understands green words in a brown envelope,the scumbag.lets picket him next st patricks day ,..........if hes still around

Anonymous said...

I can not believe how pompous our Taoiseach was. I sincerely hope that the ILIR does not abandon us in the same way our government has.

Anonymous said...

This has been a dreadful week for myself and my wife. We were counting on the IRish government to help us out after the collapse of the overall bill. What's going to happen next? My brother;s just been laid off from his job and my sister's on a threedayweek in ireland. what are we supposed to do?

Anonymous said...

We're screwed.

Anonymous said...

i am sick and tired of people in ireland being so dismissive towards us. what's up with that? Why do they hate us so much? What did we do wrong? I heard marian finucane interview niall o'dowd earlier today and the woman did not sound like she gave a toss about us. I don't expect her sympathy but i didn't expect the hostility either.

Anonymous said...

I agree with sheila. The ilir's the only thing standing between us and a complete disaster. Who else is fighting our corner? certainly isn't the irish govermnent

Anonymous said...

Keep up the good work ILIR because when this is all finally sorted and we have our visas, we'll all know that it was without the support and effort of the Irish government. It annoys me so much that they have turned their backs on us this way, but we've always had to make it on our own and today is no different. It makes me so proud of our community over here that in the long run, we'll show them by getting this issue sorted, once and for all. And the satisfaction of that will be worth everything we've all been through in the last week!! Thanks for all you're doing for us and keep it up PLEASE!

Anonymous said...

THINKING OF THROWING IN THE TOWEL Weve being here ten years with four children two born here,we have no medical we pay for everything(not as easy as they say it is) its killing us living in an apt no hope of getting a house or noting cant TAKE IT ANYMORE off home this summer weve just had enough have waited for years for something to happen sure ye know yourselves
even when we move home we Cant get children allowance or noting as we dont meet residency requirement!!!{WHAT}
we are not wanted there anymore so the goverment says as weve being gone more than 2 years an were not wanted here so what do ya do?very fed up!?
TAKE CARE ALL N GOOD LUCK!

Anonymous said...

Don't expect the Irish Govt to support our cause.

We cannot rest our hopes on them. They have never stood by us.

We need to actively join hands and participate with other larger and stronger communities (Latin, Asian and others) to form a stronger alliance. Irish Govt gives a rat about the 50,000 or so strong undocumented Irish here.

We will fight for the cause which we have been all these days without the Irish Govt support from back home. We will fight along with the groups who share similar goals.

Anonymous said...

The Irish Government don't standby and look after the people who (stupidly) have voted for them in Ireland so it doesn't surprise me they won't help their own Irish people in the USA. I even mailed the Dept of Taoiseach last week in disgust and still haven't gotten a reply. The majority of the Irish people at home want to help in any way they can, remember all of us who turned up in Jury's Hotel last year and there were more who couldn't attend. With all of us at home and the ILIR, we have to fight on without the governments help, they are a disgrace.

Anonymous said...

It has been a rough week for everyone no doubt. And in hindsight its par for the course for the Irish government should not be too shocked. But i suppose the question on everyones mind is where do we go from here?

Is the ILIR going to take a different approach? Or did they expect this all along?

I can understand the silence around a possible resolution as there are many people, and unfortunately many Irish included, who would oppose a deal.

Sit tight or take flight?

Anonymous said...

Do not listen to the Taoiseach there is nothing here in Ireland for yous.Iam now living back here a month and have never seen so many people out of work in the building industary ,all stoped over the last six months so the knock on affect is just happening in other sectors.There is vertualy no health care may be thats why its free .There is half built motorways every were you still cant take one road from Dublin to galway and not go in to small towns its a joke.Shopping centers everwere with more staff than coustmers cant last.People who never left see all these changes as great and they are if you know no better .But the talk of the new Ireland and realty is very different .Anyone thinking of coming back here DONT there is nothing here.Just look at the Taoiseach on the tv telling lie after lie and he is in charge.My advice try and marry an American ang get your green card or try and live on $150 a week and ever time you leave the house carry an umbrella when you get use to that your ready to move back

Form the Island

Anonymous said...

In another few months, when there is no work in Ireland & the dole offices are packed with people signing on & the people can't afford to pay for the houses & cars, the Irish Government will be begging countries like the U.S to open their doors & take them in.
Bertie can't seem to see past the end of his nose!

fiona said...

Go home to what,There isnt anything to go home to,maybe the dole.there is noyhing but unemployment there now.Bertie wont put bread on out tabel.Well of coarse he wouldnt understand anaway.All he does is give himself big risses in the dail never mind look out for us.Its a disgrase.i dont know where he was going bringing shamrocksand a dissapointment to us.He should have stayed where he was.No matter we will see who has got the last laugh.Keep up the good work ilir.

Anonymous said...

This is the figures released here yesterday of people living below the poverty line 720,775 most are working poor.Bertie has got the carpenters uinion to lower wages from 18.50 to 14.50 to try and create jobs thats realy going to save a sinking ship.Lastest figures show Dublin is the fouth dearist city in the world to live while new york rated 18 on the same list.There is one good thing here if your on the dole there is lots of people to hang around with

From The Island

Anonymous said...

Oklahoma´s Tulsa World Reports:
Economic impact of HB 1804 estimated ....

"The state bankers association says the loss could be $1.8 billion."

looks like the losers who crafted that bill and signed it into law never went to school to develop rational thinking... hardy haar...

More Here:
http://immigrationmexicanamerican.blogspot.com/

Julian Arnold said...

Once I got over the shock of Bertie's comments and blinked, I filled up with rage! He shafted us by doing a deal with the Greens, lies to us every day about Mahon and now this massive back-of-the-hand to all Irish people working hard to stay/move to the US. I've been trying almost every day since 2001 to go back to America and now this idiot tries to undo all of the ILIR's work and the tireless efforts of volunteers and supporters in 3 minutes! And this guy is STILL Taoiseach? I'm surprised the people of Ireland aren't chasing this eejit with rusty slates! LEAVE NOW BERTIE, YOU'RE A DISGRACE!

Anonymous said...

Anyone thinking of going to Ireland this summer for a holiday should cancel their plans. Boycott's work. If enough legal people cancel their holiday plans in solidarity with their undocumented fellow country men and women, the Irish Government would take note.

Peter Nassey

Anonymous said...

I agree with the last post - the only thing the Irish gov understands is the money in their pocket! How dare they try to abandon the Irish undocumented. We are still Irish citizens and we wont forget their lack of action at this crucial time. Shame on you Bertie and all your henchmen.