Paddy responsible for centuries of conflict in Ireland
Editor, The Times:
I know that Wednesday, St. Patrick’s Day, was a great excuse for most young Americans to go out drinking and have fun — safely, I hope. But in Thursday’s Seattle Times there was a blurb about how St. Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland [“St. Paddy’s Day,” Newsline, March 18].
Should we really be celebrating the person who may be at the root of centuries of conflict and of thousands of Irish deaths because of arguments over whose “brand” of Christianity is “right?” Isn’t St. Patrick responsible for a great deal of human suffering?
I do not think we should celebrate in his name at all. Instead, let’s celebrate the vernal equinox — it’s just a few days later — when the hours of daylight and darkness are the same, promising longer days to come! We could celebrate the promise of spring and the natural part of the cycle of reproduction. We all enjoy springtime and our young adults can have just as much fun drinking green beer — symbolizing spring’s green leaves.
Think about the traditions which you celebrate blindly and without much thought. Use your reason and logic; Why are you doing this? Look at the results of these traditions and then consider throwing them away and creating new traditions, which do not celebrate prejudice or death.
— Jeff Wedgwood, Issaquah
Oh, go pinch yourself
Concerning The Times’ promotion of “pinching of no-green wearing misanthropes” [“An Irish pub crawl for St. Patrick’s Day”, NWFriday, March 12], a person cannot be called a misanthrope for not wearing green.
The misanthropes are the people who think that it’s fun to pinch other people. As a person of Irish descent, I abhor the tawdry and cheap celebration of a supposed saint that has no relation to actual Irish tradition. A bunch of drunken brawlers — most of whom are not Irish — do no credit to Patrick.
But endorsing schoolyard bullying is a new low. It’s bad enough that on this day each year children have to endure this juvenile version of the inquisition, but do you really want a bunch of drunks running around pinching people?
— Phil Fagerholm, Seattle