St. Patrick's Day 2007 - Belfast, Northern Ireland, 6

More photos of St. Patrick's Day in Belfast can be found here:

St. Patrick's Day 2007 - Belfast, Northern Ireland

St. Patrick's Day 2007 - Belfast, Northern Ireland, 2

St. Patrick's Day 2007 - Belfast, Northern Ireland, 3

St. Patrick's Day 2007 - Belfast, Northern Ireland, 4

St. Patrick's Day 2007 - Belfast, Northern Ireland, 5

Letter to America - Chapter 62 - The St. Patrick's Day Podcast Special

 

Comments

[David Baxter]

Loe, this site is just complete American lead pro Irish republican propaganda. All the pictures from St Pats day show "happy people" having a good time, your photos of the 12th July celebrations however are an attempt to portray the loyalist majority of this country as thick, burger chewing, beer swilling yobs. If you don't like it loe, go back to the US. I'm expecting you'll not be brave enough to allow this post to be published. Maybe i'm wrong!

[Jett Loe]

Hmmm.

[Phil]

Is David suggesting that Jett is trying to "push" for a United Ireland? (being a yank myself, I'm still confused over which of the 900 political parties stand for what)

And if so, why? Trust me David, when I say, most Americans (99.999%) are indifferent, and have no idea what you're talking about. (yes, I realized I further perpetuated an American stereotype, but let's face it, some stereotypes are true...I love burgers!!)

[Morgan Jones]

Actually I think David's comments are extremely valid. Although I now live in Cardiff my Mother's family are from Carrickfergus and I spent most of my life in Northern Ireland.

I like to feel i'm on the outside looking into issues in Northern Ireland and the Unionist community really get an unfair rap in many many blogs and by many so called leftist pundits in Britain.

My personal view is, Nationalists are the best at PR, they represent themselves in a good light and always manipulate the media for their best personal aims. The parades are a shining example of this. I would suggest however i'd rather walk in east Belfast in a Celtic top than west Belfast in a Rangers top.

The loyalist 12th celebrations are a wonderful display of colour and community spirit and from looking at Jett's coverage of both Saint Patricks day and last years 12th I would be inclined to agree that very clever media manipulation is being used here.

Sorry Jett mate, I love the podcast and the blog and this is the first time i've ever felt the need to comment.

[Jett Loe]

Interesting comment Morgan - I assume you're joking of course - if not then I'm happy to address your comment point by point.

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

[hurdy gurdy man]

As a unionist I can't say that I have ever detected propagandizing of the sort that David Baxter speaks of in LTA. Indeed, it seems to me that Mr Loe has always been studiously impartial on that issue.

Furthermore, I am surprised to learn that a series of photos of kids enjoying St Pat's amounts to republican propaganda.

You live and you learn...

[Phil]

I can only say that to further educate you re: Americans - it's just "St. Patrick's Day" to us. It's a parade or whatever where people wear green hats and whatnot. Protestant/Catholic doesn't even enter into it.

In America, it's an excuse to get drunk.

In Jett's case, he goes outside his flat, takes photos of what's going on outside his flat, and posts them here. That's pretty much the extent of it, if I know Jett.

How do any of these photos have anything to do with politics in the first place???

This is reminiscent of the people who took the whole "Captain Planet" video seriously. Can't see the forest for the trees.

[Morgan Jones]

No Joke, Jett. Have you ever thought of a job as photo editor for The Republican News ?

If you don't understand the destructive power of something like this maybe you should leave it well alone!

[David Baxter]

Thanks Morgan, I think you've got my point exactly. I've shown these pictures to others and they agree there is definately a republican slant.

It is typical of the trendy element decending in droves into South Belfast.

[Carrie]

This is when I despair for the future of this place. Some 'new era'. Bigotry, whataboutery, hatred, fear & ignorance - scratch a parade and there it is.

[Mike in Berlin]

Hmmmm, interesting point David about the Trendy Element in South Belfast. I grew up on a lovely wee side street off the Lisburn Road.

I've moved out years ago and currently live in Germany, I know I couldn't afford to move back into this once working class area and in an area always colourly decorated in July is now sadly grey and drab. I imagine any Protestants still living in the area would be scared to display the Union Flag outside their property because of Nationalist violence. Come on guys, Belfast is a Capital city of a country in the United Kingdom.

It should be an punishable offence to display the Irish Tricolour in Belfast and people should feel able to display the Red White and Blue without fear.

[Erin]

1.) If you go back and look at the pictures that Jett took during the summer marching season, they are remarkably similar to his St. Patrick's day pictures in content and composition. There are children and adults enjoying themselves, marching, eating and drinking. And incidentally, there are more pictures of the marching season than of St. Patrick's Day.

2.) As an American living in Belfast, I can say that I am really angered by the one-sided image that most Americans receive about Northern Ireland due to the the predominance and romanticized images of Republicanism that we are shown in movies. Candid shots of a parade, however, are not examples of propaganda.

3.) What Jett has been doing with his podcast and his pictures is showing a side of Belfast and Northern Ireland that few Americans have ever heard of or seen. He should be commended for that rather than told to "love it or leave it."

[Phil]

And I'll reiterate one more time in addition to what Erin said:

Americans have NO CLUE what you are rambling on about. Nor do they care.

But you're becoming more like us...getting worked up over a parade.

[David Baxter]

If Americans are so clueless, maybe they shouldn't blog about Northern Ireland.

[Phil]

Why not?

Jett also has photos of Pong playing contests. Which political party backs "Pong" players, because Jett is probably trying to take over Ireland through that, too.

[allan]

we're not all clueless, or without care. especially in the northeast, there's awareness of N.I.'s issues.

i am curious, though, as to where you see bias in any of jett's posts or casts. even in the pictures above, the only smiling face is from one about marching season.

[Whisky Nose]

I was on the tube in London on ST Patrick's day and there were two guys wearing floppy green hats. I too would like to blame Jett for spreading Republican propaganda in our beautiful red white and blue capital.