Ah yes, there’s a little Irish in me. I had forgotten about my heritage until one of my offspring did a 23&Me genetic test and after looking at the test results asked “Who’s Irish?” She is the only one in the family with tons of reddish blonde naturally curly hair paired with blue eyes. That question triggered memories, history, and I shared the information that would have been forgotten. My father’s mother’s family hails from the hills of Tennessee, the Appalachians. My father insisted that they were Scots-Irish and at one time he traced the American family tree back to 1760. He was quite proud of that heritage, although he was English from his father’s side. They say that the Scots-Irish are stubborn and hard working, and that I would be, as was my father. It would also explain why my favorite meal was corned beef and cabbage!
I have fond memories of my little gramma who lived to almost 100 years old. I have some of her handmade quilts, that look as if she pieced them together by hand with scraps of fabric from old clothes. My mother was never fond of her mother-in-law, as often happens in families. My mother recalls being called a “hussy” because she had bleached blonde hair, fashionable back then, wore red lipstick, and had a college education. My grandmother came from a strict line of fundamentalist Christians and I recall being shocked when I saw her once with a smattering of rouge on her cheeks. I can’t recall the occasion. She had an expansive garden and I remember walking through it as a little girl and wanting to just sit and play in the garden. Since my father up and moved to California for a job, I didn’t get to see my grandmother in Tennessee very often. I can only grasp at the few memories I have. But, I remember she was spunky as all get out, stubborn, funny, and committed to living a frugal, Christian, life. Although, it was rumored that she hid a couple of cigarettes in a linen hanky and would sneak a smoke on occasion in her garden. Most likely, her only rebellion.
I remember that my gramma grew up poor and came from a very large family. I’ve seen pictures of her family, sitting on the porch of an old wood house, barefoot, simple clothing. Her husband died from a heart attack when in his late 50’s. She was the mother of two sons, and one was my father and the other was a disabled son. He was severely handicapped and she cared for him until she could no longer lift him at an advanced age. There’s so much to be admired in this tiny woman, that if I could speak with her now, I would tell her how wonderful she is. I don’t know how she made it on her own all those years without help. I recall my father lamenting her situation, having his hands full with his own family of six children. I recall my mother being adamant about not being able to care for an adult handicapped person (my father’s brother). It makes me sad when I look back now. I know that Gramma had an active church family, and that she involved her son in activities with the “crippled society” (as it was called back then), and that she loved growing Irises and would enter her flowers in competition, or at least she talked about doing that. But, oh, she must’ve been stubborn as heck to never give up and never give in to the burdens on her shoulders. I think I’m a lot like her. I even look more like her than my other relatives.
Whether or not different peoples from different lands are more stubborn than others is probably due more to their suffering than their genetics. But, I’ll tell ya’, I was born stubborn. My mother reminded me frequently, and liberally shared that hated characteristic with her friends and family, so much so that I often was treated more harshly than my siblings (for good measure, you see, to stamp out my stubbornness). That used to really bug me, but now I realize that my stubbornness has helped me survive, and hang on, and laugh in the face of adversity. I’m more Scots-Irish than English or German or Austrian or Swiss – my other genetics. And I am thankful, because we need “stubborn” in this country right now, more than many other characteristics.
What caused the Irish to journey to America? The first wave came in the 1720s and they mostly had Scottish Presbyterian roots. By 1790, the American population was around 3.1 million and it was reported that approximately half of the population had Scots-Irish roots. They came for the opportunity to farm and afford a better lifestyle. The Great Hunger caused by the potato famine saw an enormous increase of Irish (1840’s) who were mostly poor and Catholic. Interestingly enough, there was a rift between the first arrivers and the poor, starving, Irish who arrived later on. It seems as if it was Protestants and Presbyterians versus Catholics. I really don’t know because none of my grandparents ever spoke of such things, but I did notice a dislike of all things Catholic early on, and then a softening towards other denominations later on. So much so, that my parents considered it a part of my informal education to attend services at various churches, including Catholic mass and the Pentecostal church, in order to understand how different people worshipped God. From what I’ve read, the more prosperous Scots-Irish had attained a “middle class” status and they looked down upon the poor Irish immigrants who couldn’t speak English, were illiterate, and just needed a job, any job, no matter how menial. During boom times, these immigrants were welcomed. But, when there was a downturn, they were resented, which apparently caused social unrest.
As time moved on, the immigrants who worked to build the country were more accepted, and the Civil War might have been likely a turning point. The Irish volunteered enthusiastically as soldiers, and earned the respect of their peers. As time moved on, the Irish moved up in stature while many still remained in poverty. You may or may not know, but places like Chicago, New York, and Boston became Irish strongholds. They organized, formed unions, ran political candidates, took positions of governmental authority, etc. If you ever visit Boston, make sure you drop in on some Irish pubs!
Historically, Ireland was subjected to British colonization and they were never willing participants. They viewed themselves as sovereigns of their island, independent, and stubborn. Laws established in the 17th century sought to erase “Irishness” and it didn’t work. As the British cracked down further on the island inhabitants, the rebellion grew. There were land wars and famine. Ultimately a deathly civil war occurred, and later a war for Independence from Britain.
Today, Ireland is still split into factions and it feels eerily similar to what we might be facing in America today. There’s an enormous social fracture in our American society, often characterized as the Left and the Right, but those labels don’t reflect the massive social undercurrents that run the gamut. Ireland is a little island, comparatively speaking. America is an enormous landmass making up a large portion of the continent. Imagine Ireland’s rebellion the size of America. Americans are known, worldwide, for their desire to be “left alone” – independent of government intrusion. And why America has historically been known as a “land of opportunity” is because Freedom was/is the most highly respected attribute of Americanism. Something the Marxists wish to stamp out of our corporate psyche.
All the foregoing, to point out, that many of us have Irish roots that were born out of adversity, adventure, and new challenges. I’m sure this story can be repeated for all the people around the world who came to America looking for opportunity, self-sufficiency, religious freedom, and security from persecution. I have left out huge swaths of Irish and American-Irish history to keep the word count down, and to set the table for the discussion of “Irish Democracy”. Something I think we need in America. Right Now.
So, what is “Irish Democracy”? Well, the phrase itself is ironic – there’s nothing democratic about it. It is similar in meaning to “going Galt” (Atlas Shrugged) but with a few twists. As best I can describe it, it is a gray man technique, therefore quiet, nondescript, underground, and absolutely committed to sabotaging, by a thousand cuts, throwing sand in the machinery of, the “Democracy” one finds oneself under the thumb of or the boot of. Does that make sense? It’s a dogged resistance. It’s anonymous. It’s unorganized disobedience. It’s not a violent mob, that the congress critters in D.C. are so afraid of with their show and tell concertina wire guarding the People’s House.
So, how the heck does this “technique” actually relate to the Irish?? This is about a people who have, in one way or another throughout history, been under someone’s thumb, relentlessly. Even now they are struggling with the strong Marxist forces in their midst, like we are. All the Irish ever wanted was Independence from Everything. Just like us. We just want to be left alone to live our best life! We want to worship however we want. We want to work for whatever we want, how we want. We want to raise our children how we see fit. We want to live. Freedom seems so simple.
However, The Powers That Be just can’t leave well enough alone. They are greedy and lustful and lazy. They want to become rich at our expense. More importantly, they want control. They think they know better than we do. They want to rule over us because it feeds their narcissistic beliefs in themselves. They just can’t live and let live. They order us around, and sit around in their Washington D.C. castles thinking of ways to tax us further. They even make up crazy schemes, based on the desires of the lobbyists, to make us think we aren’t being taxed while we’re being taxed. The gaslighting/propaganda is out of control. America today is no better than it was before the Revolutionary War when Great Britain was lording it over us. As a matter of fact, I think we were better off then, if we could move far enough out, to be left alone. Not in the sense of conveniences, but in the sense of freedom. With satellite-based imagery intelligence, we can’t even disappear into a forest anymore.
Just think about your daily, weekly, monthly, routine. How much of your time, energy, and money are spent in “compliance” with some law. Health insurance? Homeowners insurance? Car insurance? Buckle your seatbelt! Come to a full stop at that stop sign even if there’s no one else in sight within 50 miles (smile, you’re on candid camera)! Pay the toll. Don’t park here, park over there. Put on your mask. Sign our Terms of Service. Notice how many taxes are included in your utility bill, cell phone bill, water bill, etc. Some locales tax your food! Taxes. Taxes. Taxes. And everything is regulated, right down to toothpaste. I don’t know about you, but I feel suffocated. I can’t even express my opinion in public anymore because a subculture of American society has defined a new thing they call “hate speech” as anything that they don’t like or don’t think you should say. And if you say it anyway, they try to destroy your entire life. Those are the Marxists, by the way, the purveyors of “cancel culture”.
So, what in the heck can we do about it? After all of the letter writing, and calling, and peaceful assemblies, to exhibit our displeasure to our “representatives” about how things are going, what then? With a few exceptions, we seem to be ignored. And by “we”, I mean the majority of freedom-loving Americans – no matter what race, religion, heritage, culture, etc. People, in general, want freedom. Every time you take a peek at “the news”, you hear about some person either being arrested or banned or de-platformed or shunned or de-banked or their children absconded with by Child Protective(not!) Services. I think “who the heck do they think they are?” Then I wonder who are they? If you want to go down the “globalist/great reset” rabbit hole, then feel free. It is terrifying.
I came to my own conclusions about it all – the situation we find ourselves in, here in America. And I favor massive non-compliance at every level possible without landing myself in jail. This approach calls for the “Gray Man”, “Going Galt”, and true to my heritage, “Irish Democracy”. In Part 2, I will discuss what others across the blogosphere are discussing, including my own intentions. Some of which may shock you; some of which may encourage you; some of which may simply inform you as to options you may have in fighting back against the tyranny.
(To be concluded tomorrow, in Part 2.)