When 4 July comes, Americans always ask me, "do you have a 4 July". "Not yet" is my answer though it's certainly our ambition and perhaps the latest Unite Ireland push in the US will help us realise the dream.
But anti-slavery campaigner Frederick Douglas, who travelled Ireland, had an evocative take on what Independence Day meant for the black man in mid-19th century America.
You can read his entire 4 July address here but this excerpt is as powerful a piece of writing you are likely to see which captures the spirit of those of us who are not yet free.
What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sound of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants brass fronted impudence; your shout of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanks-givings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy -- a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour.
10 comments:
Ireland will never be free till its people are capable of speaking their own native language.
The English language is certainly no substitute for the real thing contrary to the beliefs of many.
As the old axiom goes: "Speak the language of the foreigner, think like the foreigner."
Freedom starts with thoughts and the ability to freely form your own independent thoughts.
a mháirtín a chara
Is féidir gur ceart duit an ráiteas sin a choinneáil faoi cheilt ar chosmhuintir chráite iarthar Bhéal Feirste ar eagla go ndéanfadh siad ceangal idir é agus an tuasaicme polaitiúil a rialaíonn á mbeatha.Tá an ráiteas sin fíor cheannairceach agus contúirteach dóibh sin atá i gcumhacht is cuma cé hiad. Tá sé gearrtha amach agam crochta ar mo bhalla cheana féin.GRMA
Ireland will be 'free' when it's people can live together, accepting their differences and understanding their place in the wider european and world scene; Looking outward and welcoming, instead of inward and defensive. Promoting the language is a very important part of maintaining the cultural make up of the island and its different peoples. However it could also become a self imposed barrier. For example not only can I not understand the words or meaning of the Séamus Mac Seáin comment neither can the vast majority of the world’s population, English speaking or otherwise, whilst a significant chunk of the world’s population can understand the original post and the first comment. Séamus has limited his ability to communicate and engage millions of people as a result of choosing to use a language, spoken, even in its homeland, by a small minority of the people.
Much more importantly he has also limited his ability to communicate with the people with whom he shares this city and island.
"Promoting the language is a very important part of maintaining the cultural make up of the island and its different peoples."
Andy,
The reality on the ground is that virtually everything is being done by Sinn Fein, the Catholic Church, and the civil service to destroy the language -- not promote it in the slightest.
The Irish and Scottish languages belong just as much to you as to anyone else.
Seamus, perhaps more than anyone else, knows what it means to be on the receiving end of language repression going back decades.
Language contains wisdom. It is a great tragedy to lose a language and its accompying wisdom anywhere in the world, and that is sadly happening year by year.
Perhaps, you might consider taking a language class or two. You might be very pleasantly surprised what you discover.
no pearls of wisdom in that post of mine Andy that I would want to share with millions it was just a short note to Máirtín on the pertinence of the Douglas quote and it was in the Language Máirtín and I would usually communicate in.Sorry if offended you but it wasn't my intention.
Sorry WotB, I may have been a bit clumsy, I do support the maintenance of Irish and other languages, it's just that I think a balance needs to be drawn where people are encouraged to see that the language is part of their heritage and can be part of their culture in the future.
The constant denigration of the English language and suggesting that it makes me 'think like a foreigner' is counter productive.
I may take you up on your suggestion and try a course in Irish. Can you recommend any beginners courses in County Antrim? I probably won’t be able to learn the basics in time so, can you let me know what ‘Rampant Antrim gives Tyrone a good stuffing’ reads like in Irish?
Andy,
I am a wee bit removed from Antrim, but I am sure Seamus or Mairtin or someone else reading this blog could recommend a good beginners course.
Just noticed your comment Séamus. Thank you for taking the time. I wasn't offended in any way; just frustrated. My fault not yours.
Go raibh míle maith agat!
Andy
There would be people out there more qualified than I am to translate that for you but my my humble best would be "GREADANN AONTROIM TÍR EOGHAIN"
Thank you Séamus.
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