The Brian Lehrer Show

I believe that Speaker Quinn is doing an admirable job. Especially when she is not a wealthy influential tycoon who is buddy buddies with the owners of the 5 media conglomorates who decide what New Yorkers (and the rest of the US for that matter) listen to, read and talk about.

Having said that, I believe she has taken on a very submissive role in challenging Mr. Bloomberg and the MTA regarding accountability. (I know, the MTA is controlled by the governor though the mayor appoints some of its members and a SIGNIFICANT amount of it's budget comes from the City budget).

Based on what the MTA has failed to do for the past 6 years after 9/11 and the cases of corruption, she has not been vocal enough in calling for accountability and the misuse of taxpayer funds.

Also, she has been very quiet regarding Bloomberg's authoritarian decision to use the NYPD to suppress free speech during the Republican convention. In addition, the speaker has been quiet about the continued police abusess including a large number of violent incidents with off-duty police officers and a number of extra judicial executions on the part of the NYPD.

Why the submissiveness?

To lead the St. Pats parade one has to be a practicing Catholic. A.O.H rule. Would not this rule out Dr. Paisley?

As an Irish American, for me the parade has become nothing more than an excuse for ecumenical public drunkennness, tolerated by bigots who exclude law-abiding gay citizens. It is a public shame. It should have been removed from the Hibernians years ago.

Like everywhere else in the world where there are serious problems, it is the same old bastards running the show and preventing progress from occuring sooner rather than the years it always takes. Keep 'Rev' Paisley at home. Honor Saint Patrick! Not Paisley's anti-catholic retohric.

I am delighted with the idea of changing the focus of the Irish American Parade in New York. Most New Yorkers despise the parade, which is marked (like the Puerto Rican Day parade) by violence, drunkenness, and division.

I suggest that this year President Bill Clinton be invited in honor of his Northern Irish peace efforts during his presidency.

Thanks,

Dorothy Potter

This is a fabulous idea! My parents were Irish immigrants, and i marched in the parade every year with my father throughout my youth.

The fact that there is peace in the north is something to be celebrated, and i would be proud to share the day with protestants.

My grandfather was from county Antrim in the north, and my grandmother was from county Cork in the south. She converted to Methodism to marry him, and was guilty about it her whole life. I think making the parade a symbol of Irish reconciliation would be an outstanding message at a time when sectarian division is such a destructive force in the world.

where are the links for this segment??

Would it make Ian eat his words if he had to march with the Gays?

I think all of what the panelists are saying is great, but what about the music: that's the biggest problem it's only ever bagpipes and marching band. What about U2?

I missed the earlier part of your discussion but I would be thrilled if Paisley and Christine Queen were invited to lead the parade jointly. Time for the AOH to move in to the 21st century. Am I dreaming?

Christine Queen for Mayor!

It's about time. While I understand this was going to take awhile I still beg the question...What took so long?

We are an inclusive arts group that protests the parade every year as "Leprechuans Against Boring Parades" and we applaud replacing the Hibernians as the parade organizers

PICS:

http://www.costumenetwork.com/MainGallery/54

VIDEO (on Gothamist)

http://gothamist.com/2007/03/18/video_of_the_da_53.php

NPR INTERVIEW (Robert Smith)

http://www.npr.org/templates/dmg/dmg.php?prgCode=ATC&showDate=17-Mar-2007&segNum=9&NPRMediaPref=WM&getAd=1

We are an underground arts group (The Kostume Kult Arts Collective) and they told us NO COSTUMES IN THE PARADE! And we have great fun protesting the parade every year with practically all of the marchers loving us (while the Hibernians hate the fact that many people “break ranks” to take pics with us).

www.kostumekult.com to sign up & join us this year!

Speaking of bigots, you Dorothy Potter, are a bigot, The Puerto Rican Parade is not marked as you stated by drunkenness and violence, thier was one incident in over half a century and that is what sticks in white bigots minds, The Puerto Rican Parade is a a united and family succesful function! UNLIKE the Irish Parade. It is the other communities that can learn from the Puerto Rican community!

Thisa is a great discussion but it is missing an important element. As we try to bring the many voices to the table or parade how about reconciliation with the many Afro-Irish people that live here. I have been abused by my community for many years for being a proud African Irishmen. My name is Bailey, we are of the Cork Bailey's and upon arriving here we married both Native Americans and Africans. I have done research and to my knowledge the most prolific group of White unions that produced children with Blacks is the Irish. Lets bring all of our people together once and for all!

Every American Irish should see the film The Wind that Shakes the Barley. Are there still the active few who continue to raise money to send to the Eire struggle? How will the Northern Representatives be protected while marching in the parade?

Having Ian Paisley lead the parade seems insane on the face of it. How about having Tom Tancredo lead next years Puerto Rican Day Parade.

re :"Would it make Ian eat his words if he had to march with the Gays?"

They might not be carrying a banner, but you'd better believe homosexuals have always marched in this parade and all parades ever held in the history of humanity.

Last I checked, homosexuals pay taxes too.

NYC tax payers pay for the security and the clean up after the event.

its not right that homosexuals are excluded from this event which is paid for with some of their tax dollars.

I am in favor of this.

Besides being the potential source of cures for a variety of illnesses and debilities, stem cell research is fundamental and profound.

We will undoubtedly learn things about the structure and processes of life that we currently have no notion about which will have far-reaching consequences. The history of science bears this out.