No one in the American Press Corp ever discusses that for the Northern Irish to be united with a Catholic Ireland (which would be a Catholic theocracy) would be horrible, WHY?????????????
207572
We are not mainstream news anymore since all the terrorist's bombings and shootings have stopped. and most of the world could not care less what happens now in Northern Ireland. Most cant even separate NI from Ireland.
290096
It's the day that we Irish Americans celebrate our heritage. Sadly, our ancestors decided to lose their identity and come to America. Unfortunately, here we are in the politically correct cesspool, that is over-sympathetic and over-sensitive towards every cause on the face of the earth, but there's nothing that I can do about it right now at least. The land of the free-ride and the home of what used to be a great, united nation. The America that my father grew up in and the one that I grew up in seemingly disappeared. It's getting to where I don't even recognize my own hometown anymore.\n\nAlso, about the actual holiday: They do celebrate it in Ireland. I have a friend who went there this year and he celebrated it there. He said that he had the time of his life.    \n\nSo.....with all of that being said, HAPPY BELATED ST. PATRICK'S DAY! ERIN GO BRAGH! Don't forget, make the world a better place and buy a Patty a Guinness, lol. Slan!
317871
Nobody wants to examine their own sins.  Look how many years it took before school books admitted some of the horrible things the U.S.Calvary did to Native Americans.  And it is not just the Armenians.  Turkey and Greece are "allies" but are constantly at each others throat.  As long as one people believe they are better than anyone else in the world, there will be this stupid, mass destruction.
669039
I'm an American of Irish decent, married to a American of German decent. It made my family so angry when I married outside my species that they all got piss drunk and beat me up. And then, they sentenced me to..........."The Wearin' of the Green Shoes"! So now, if I return to Ireland, I'll be marked for assassination by both Protestants and Catholics alike.  ;-)
170088
Sure. Then let's let every other person who wants to enter into some freak union have at it too. We'll have people marrying monkeys, watermelons, like eight people at a time in some state-sactioned marital gang bang. Sure, what the hell. It'll destroy the fabric of what America was ... but at least we'll be tolerant.\n\nThis is such a stupid question. The whole concept is just off. Just because you WANT to do something and most people think it's okay doesn't mean it automatically allowed. I'm sure the majority of people would condone cheating on their taxes ... let's start shaking our fists in anger and see if we can get that allowed too.\n\nYou see what the ACLU has done to this country? Like Dennis Miller said ... the ACLU will sue to keep you from putting up a nativity display at Christmas and then sue to defend the right of the local stoner who stumbles into the display and wants to screw one of the sheep.\n\nFreaking liberals are RUINING this country!\n\nP.S.\n\nIt's HILARIOUS that you posted a question asking about the consensus on gay marriage in the "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered" section. What in the world did you think the consensus would be?
399811
Leave it ALONE; please.  The Irish Republican Army needs to be assigned to an embarrassing part in the back of a history book.\n\nAmericans have no truck with that unfortunate problem in Ireland and need to quit stirring the pot and donating resources to the rebels.  \n\nToo many people died in Ireland and the UK over these issues.  Mind you own business.\n\nDo you want people from Ireland to come over here and start a rebellion against our government?  No!\n\nWe have enough wars to worry about.  If you want to go to war then  volunteer for Iraq or Afghanistan.
572304
tee hee...everyone here is sooo insulted because they know they bought the president with all the ill-gotten church money! There is NO separation of church and state - its just one big old boys club!
397127
I am not from the American right and you can be sure those you\nhear from are not kind people, I just hope you understand they do not represent America as a whole!!\nAs far as our contribution I don't think its fair to say we started the fire but we certainly poured fuel on it,,,I say this because Britain as all of western Europe was a target long before our adventure into Iraq ! As far as the IRA and your first question  as an Irish American I brought up that fact after 9/11..sorry to say they are completely ignorant to what they have done!
649583
As you can see from the other answers, they obviously do not.  However, the 1st ammnd has been used by left-leaning, anti-christian, atheists so many times over for their agenda that the popular belief has become that the state and anything having to do with God cannot possibly coexist.  \n\nThe real and true intent of the statement was simply to prevent the US from becoming a theocracy, that which is a state ruled by a specific religious body (as was Iran).  So if you want to march into the capitol and start screaming the Our Father, go ahead.  Just don't expect the ACLU to come and defend your right to do that.\nAnti\nChristian \nLiberals\nUnited
635646
It is most gratifying to read such an eloquent discourse and I whole heartedly agree with the thrust of your most erudite question. The thing is, bless'em they're a bit brain washed you know and believe that there is a worldwide conspiracy against them. Paranoia indeed! The extreme right wing proclivities of this nation are a great concern to me and it is causing the polarising, divisive and skewed nature of US politics today. Of course, the really worrying trend, is that those that are hurt most by this type of hysterical, disabling, right wing thinking are the ones that rush to it's defence when it's under threat! Presumably out of some misguided sense of loyalty or patriotism. No, I'm afraid you're right, America needs to learn to play nicely and have a bit of humility. Terrorism is in large part a result of this rigid, militaristic, right wing foreign policy she has dished out over the last 5 or 6 decades and I can't see it stopping anytime soon. Jules, lecturer. Australia.
471530
How can you say 'everyone would be happy'? Nationalists would still be living on a divided island, and unionists would no longer be part of the UK. FYI this idea was mooted in the 1940s, when the Unionist government was unhappy about the left-wing social programmes being imposed on them by the UK Labour government, but it was a non-starter then and is a non-starter now.
619239
What you've written is what organized "theocracies" have perpetrated since the dawn of recorded history. While the Catholic Pontiffs of yesteryear have acted particularly egregiously, they are not the only examples of how "Cows, Pigs, Wars, & Witches" (- the title of an anti-religious anthology of anthropolgical, cross-cultural studies, written in the 1970's) have come to be enlisted to create fear in the masses and exact control over protracted periods of time. Look at what the "Religious Right" want to do in this country. I suggest you read a book by Kevin Phillips entitled "American Theocracy." In there you can derive the sense that even a country such as ours is vulnerable to these age-old tactics... for example, think on just how effective the "culture of fear" trumped up by the present administration has been in creating an effecient "smokescreen" or deversionary force to escape the public's otherwise probing eyes.
533195
This is definitely one of those areas where the government should keep it's fat nose out of peoples business... How would let's say, Protestants like it if their religion was outlawed, just because they couldn't get 50% of the votes to keep it legal?.. Our religion, what we put into our bodies and a lot of other areas of our lives are none of anyone's business.
529051
The United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland are on excellent terms and have been for decades.  \n\nAs for peace in Northern Ireland, it is in the process of happening.  We have had both the Good Friday "Belfast" agreement and there is another round of talks going on right now.  Peace in Northern Ireland is occuring due to diplomacy of all the parties involved.  The Provisional IRA has disbanded and the main aggitators are Loyalist Paramilitaries and dissended republicans.\n\nIrish re-entry into the UK is and never will be considered nor will a commonwealth.  I found that deeply offensive as would many Irish people. Irish people are happy and love their independence from the crown and we have one of the most stable democracies on the planet.  \n\nIrish re-unification is honestly not on the cards for a very long time if ever.  Many Irish people do not what Northern Ireland and the Republic to unify as it would harm us in both economic terms, and many Irish dont want the trouble of the northern irish parties.\n\nBack to the issue of a commonwealth.  The UK and Republic of Ireland are in something similar, its called the EU.
643010
I completely agree, it has been proven in many surveys that the VAST MAJORITY of Republicans do not care.\nOur news reports very little on the North.\nI think it is to do with ireland's wealth because if you are rich then what is the point of dying for independence if everyone was already happy? It would be pointless- you can see that any state that ever fought for independence had its people being treated badly, etc.\nAnd yes, we are not racist or bigoted- both Catholics and Protestants in the North are simply far too bitter for my liking.\nJust leave things they way they are- were happy enough.
160607
I agree with you Tory.\n\nThis situation is getting nuts all over because of a handful of people.\n\nMy sister teaches at a CATHOLIC school. She had her class make Easter Cards for their parents with religious pix from old Christmas cards, etc. and had them hang them on the wall.\n\nThe principal had her TAKE THEM DOWN because they were 'religious'!!!  \nAnd there were non-Catholic kids in the school!!??\nHello?? What is wrong with THAT picture?\n\nMy opinion with the Atheists....\nthey want every 'God' related word removed from our history, buildings, etc.\n\nWhat they fail to realize is their belief of non-belief is also represented -\non government buildings....any blank spot or wall ...\nrepresents the Atheist.\non our currency....the white blank border.....\nrepresents the Atheist.\nWhen we are finished saying our "Pledge of Allegiance" under Our God and we are silent for the 30 seconds following...that is for the Atheist!!\n\nGet my drift?\n\nTheir non-belief \nis very much represented \nin our Government!!
287901
HEY,ITS THE DESPERATE CLOWN HERE.YOU ANSWERED MY LOVE QUESTION............i'm an irish clown from DERRY...lol.\nits great the way the Irish get behind there national teams in all sports.Always praising no matter what!!Not like the Brits who slag there teams at every oppertunity