Posts Tagged ‘Tom O’Malley’
Irish out of the USA: Nativist Riots of 1844. Recurring de-vu in US political campaigns
Posted on: March 20, 2016
Irish out of the USA: Nativist Riots of 1844
The Anti Irish Catholic, anti immigrant sentiment 172 years ago
Recurring de-vu in US political campaigns
Tom O’Malley posted on FB
The Anti Irish Catholic Nativist Riots in Philadelphia took place 172 years ago. But the story is still pertinent today.
This election year has seen a rise in anti immigrant sentiment. Just like a 172 years ago, a couple people running for office have tried to use this for their personal political gain.
We do need to do something about immigration in this country. But we need to get rid of the anti immigrant rhetoric.
And the anti Islamic rhetoric as well.
I am a Catholic. Both sides of my family were parishioners at Old St Augustine’s which was burnt down during the riots of 1844. This was done because the Nativists said the Pope was trying to take the bibles out of the schools & that the Catholics wanted to install the Pope as their leader.
The Nativists used to say the Catholics are going to destroy this country. Now they say Muslims are going to destroy this country.
It’s the same bullshit argument just switching out the religion. Muslims aren’t inherently bad any more then Christians, Hindus or Jews or any other group. They won’t destroy this country any more then any other religion has.
This country was literally largely built by immigrants.
The way I see it, only full blooded Native Americans can say they don’t want any more immigrants. No one else in this country has that right.
Most of my ancestors came from Ireland about 100 – 150 years ago. But the first of my ancestors born in America was born in Lancaster in 1720. So one branch of my family was in this country for 50 years before the American Revolution.
They were German. German immigrants were also discriminated against at one time. Italian, Jewish, Japanese, Chinese & other immigrants were heavily discriminated at points in our history also.
So this bullshit is nothing new. However those that do not study history are doomed to repeat it.
If we look at the stupid ignorant, bigoted, racist words & actions of our past we will see that all of these cultures that were going to destroy this country were in large part responsible for making this into one of the greatest countries in history.
So let’s try to learn from our past when we discuss immigration reform. And let’s take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices and struggles that our grandparents, and great great great grandparents had to go through.
How would they view the anti immigrant rhetoric being spewed by so many people today?
Adonis Diaries 