St. Patrick's Day

Finding peace amid the chaos - we need another St. Patrick to deliver the snakes from the USA.

The legend of St. Patrick is that he led the snakes out of Ireland, although common lore says that there never were any snakes in Ireland. Well, now there are snakes infesting the US government, and we need Patrick to return to drive them out! (My hubby is deathly afraid of snakes, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he suggests we move to Ireland.)

My paternal grandmother’s family name was O’Keefe. Although I haven’t found any of her ancestors in Ireland, I still hope to uncover them eventually. I’ve gone back in my research to my 3rd great grandfather, who may have been born in Canada, but I haven’t found his parents yet. Some of my Wylie ancestors were born in Ireland, but it was a known fact that many Scots emigrated to Ireland in the 17th century before coming across the pond to America.

I have met some people from Ireland over the years, and they are always warm and caring folks. The Irish Blessing is a prime example of the kindness that imbues Irish culture, always wishing the best for others. There are many variations on the Irish Blessing, but this one will always be my favorite. When I joined the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus in 1996, this was the first song all the newbies needed to learn. We sang it almost every week, for birthdays, anniversaries, special guest visitors, and more. It was the way we said “welcome” and “congratulations” and “you are loved.”

Many members of the chorus were at our commitment ceremony (aka wedding) in 2000, and they sang this to us at the end of the service. It still brings a tear to my eye to hear it.

May the road rise up to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm on your face,

and the rain fall soft on your fields,

and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Isn’t that a lovely sentiment? Wishing the best to another person because you care. Seems like a no-brainer. However, it is clear that the current administration couldn’t care less about other people, including those that voted for them.

Musk himself said that empathy is the fundamental weakness of Western civilization. It reminds me of the old “Let them eat cake” expression that was attributed (incorrectly) to Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution. The idea that the wealthy elites don’t care about others has been around for decades, and unfortunately there is a lot of truth to that concept.

The White House has officially banned empathy and concern by executive order. They don’t want you to care about:

• the thousands of government employees who have been laid off without cause;

• the immigrants who have done nothing wrong who are being transported out of the country;

• Dr. Rasha Alaweih, the kidney-transplant specialist who was detained by ICE and then deported;

• the young people who are realizing that their gender identity doesn’t mesh with the gender marker on their birth certificates;

• the workers in the public service sector, including teachers, who were supposed to have their student loans forgiven after 10 years of employment;

• the millions of people who use Medicaid and SNAP benefits to help care for and feed their families;

• the teachers being told that they have to remove their “All Are Welcome Here” posters from their classrooms;

• the damage to the economy that will take years to recover;

• and all the other crap that they are doing to people who just want to live their lives without interference or judgment.

I refuse to comply! I can’t turn my empathy on and off, and I wouldn’t want to. Having compassion for others is what makes us human. If you are a Christian and truly follow the teachings of Jesus, then you know what he said in Matthew 25, that we are supposed to feed the hungry, house the homeless, heal the sick, and provide clothing for those without. Welcoming the stranger and the foreigner is in the Old Testament book of Leviticus, which the right-wing folks love to misinterpret as being against same-sex relationships. But these folks don’t care what the bible says if it goes against what they truly believe - that only people like them are worthy, and anyone else (especially people of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and the poor) is automatically excluded.

I am for diversity. I am for inclusion. I support creating an equitable environment for everyone. I am in favor of free speech (with rare exceptions) even when I disagree with it. I believe that higher taxes on the wealthy improves economic outcomes for all people. It’s time for us to stand up and shout what we believe to all who will listen.

And may God (or goddess or Buddha or earth mother or the cosmos) hold you in the palm of his (her, its, or their) hand.