When I first set out writing this column (hey, it’s a year this issue!),
I made it a rule for myself not to talk about politics. But I have to break that rule in order to
tell my story this time. No one needs
to agree with me!
Ever since 9/11, and once in a while before that, I’ve encountered
anti-Americanism in the Irish language community, in the newspapers, on the
internet (especially), even on the radio.
On the internet, I’ve always stood up to them. I also happen to side with my country in supporting Israel – and
if they hate America, they hate Israel twice as much. I had to say the same things to them so often, that I made a web
page about it. I eventually added several
articles to this site. My article on
Israel, and other discussions I’ve had on the internet, got the attention of a
radio show host from Raidió na Gaeltachta (the all Irish language radio station
in Ireland). I wound up being invited
to be a guest on his (live) show, defending America in general, and our policy
in Iraq in particular. It was all in
Irish, and not easy, but I think it went well.
The show is often rather anti-American.
There was quite a different show that week!
Talking about this experience on the internet, I complained (again)
about how biased the Irish language papers are against America. This lead to my being invited to write an
article about the war for the all Irish language newspaper Lá (from
Belfast). This went over well, and the
editor told me that it created a stir.
I’ve since been published again in that paper, and was also back on the
radio program again. (I have links to
all this stuff at http://www.scoilgaeilge.org/radio.htm).
So am I just bragging, or is there a point to all of this? Well, I have to admit I’m kind of proud of
myself! But I am writing this to let
you know what you can do if you have the language. There are too few voices out there standing up for our country in
the Irish language. Not everyone that
speaks Irish, by a long shot, is anti-American. But the kind of people who write for the media, and are informed
enough about the issues to speak publicly about them, often come from that
crowd. There are some other Americans
with strong Irish, but there should be a lot more! I’ve given you all kinds of reasons to learn Irish. This issue’s theme is: learn Irish (or use the Irish you have) out
of patriotism!
There are all kinds of crazy irresponsible things being said about our
country by people in America, too, and all over the world, along with people
who reasonably disagree about our policies.
There are also lots of people able to respond to them in those
languages. We owe it to our country,
and to our Irish friends, not to let them only hear one point of view in the
Irish language!
I like to try and keep this column up-beat, but I think this stuff needs
to be said. It would make you sick to
see the kinds of things people, some of them from other countries, some of them
Irish, are saying about our country and our president, as Gaeilge. I hesitate to soil our newspaper’s pages
with it, but here are a few examples.
Scríobh duine amháin ar an gclár plé ag www.beo.ie: "[Má tá]
bua éasca ag na Gaill an babhta seo leanfaidh siad orthu agus ionsóidh siad an
Iaráin, nó Cuba, nó Siria, nó Venezuela, agus mar sin de ar aghaidh go mbeidh
an domhain go léir smachtaithe acu. Ach
má mharaítear neart acu an babhta seo, agus go háirithe má leanann an
treall-chogaíocht ar aghaidh nuair a bheidh deireadh leis an gnáth-chogaíocht,
cuirfidh sé sin srian éigin orthu. Ach cinnte, tá fórsaí na hIaráice ag cruthú
go maith go dtí seo. Nár laga Dia iad!"
Agus arís: "Chuir laoch amháin fáilte de shaghas
eile rompu inniu nuair a thug sé a anam ar son a thíre agus gur sheol ceathrar
de na hionraitheoirí chun na síoraíochta leis. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam
uasal. “
Scríobh duine eile ar an liost a sin (atá ina chónaí sa Ghearmáin – an
gcreidfeá!): "HEIL BUSH!!! Teastaíonn réiteach críochnaitheach uaibh do na
hArabaigh. Tá
Auschwitz fós ann. D’fhéadfadh na Poncáin KZ (campa géibhinn) a thógáil san Iaráic,
nó geiteo a dhéanamh de Bhasra. Ach ná maraígí gach Arabach dá bhfuil ann mar
teastaíonn sclábhaithe uaibhse agus ó Iosrael. Heil Bush! Heil Sharon!"
Agus duine eile: "Haigh,
cé go bhfuil suim mhór ag Gerry A sa mhéid atá le rá ag Bush, agus cé go dtugaim
mo vóta féin do Shinn Féin...is mó mo mheas ar intleacht mo Mhadaidh (madra) sa
ghairdín ná mar atá agamsa ar Bush …"
Sa nuachtán Lá, Béal Feirste, faoin gceannteidil “SAM ag lorg ceantair
ola na hIaráice a chur faoina smacht:“
“De réir mar a théann an caidreamh cairdiúil idir Stáit Aontaithe
Mheiriceá agus an Araib Shádach in olcas, is amhlaidh is mó an baol go
gcuirfear cogadh ar an Iaráic. Ba
chaidreamh é a bhí bunaithe ar an tuiscint go dtabharfadh SAM cosaint don
teaghlach ríoga Sádach agus go soláthródh an Araib Shádach foinse seasmhach
ola. Tháinig brú mór ar an chaidreamh i
dtús báire nuair a toghadh George Bush ina Uachtarán agus gur dhiúltaigh sé bac
a chur ar ionsaithe Iosrael ar an Phalaistín.”
As an iris idirlín Beo!: “Tá praiseach
déanta ag George Bush agus ag Tony Blair maidir leis an Iaráic; an fhadhb is mó
ná go mbeidh an domhan níos contúirtí mar áit sa todhchaí, ní hamháin dúinne
ach do na glúnta a thiocfaidh inár ndiaidh. Is ábhar imní é sin dúinn go léir.”
Rud eile as Lá: “Tharla deireadh beagnach déanta de Chuid I de
Chogadh na hIaráice, is é
nádúr na ndaoine seo a bheith ag smaoineamh feasta ar an gcreach a roinnt agus
a bhfuil ann a sciobadh chucu féin!
Nach é sin an fáth a ndeachaigh siad ann, an chéad lá riamh?”
Bhí alt in Foinse (nuachtán
as Baile Átha Cliath) ag míniú go raibh ionsaí 9/11 tuillte againn go díreach
ina dhiaidh, agus bhí daoine ag rá rudaí mar seo, a scríobh duine as Béal
Feirste ar liost e-phoist Gaelic-L:
“Is stát na SAM a
gineadh sa chineadh-scriosadh, a rugadh san ár, a cothaíodh leis an
sclábhaíocht, agus a d’fhás ar an sladaireacht ar fud an domhain. Tá cogadh de dhíth ar an eacnamaíocht agus
sin mar a bhí ón [uair]a chuir an chéad
duine Eorpach cos ar a’ mhór-roinn sin.”
Scríobh
mé an dán seo mar fhreagra don duine sin:
http://www.scoilgaeilge.org/lasmuigh/danta/dan2.htm.
Beannacht
Dé ar Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá. God
Bless America.