If you don’t know me very well or have not yet realized it, I’m extremely proud of my Irish heritage. Both my grandmothers immigrated from there to the United States and made sure to teach me about my heritage. My paternal grandmother, may she rest in peace and paradise, always made sure to let me in on her Irish secrets, stories, and even phrases. And I think this is why Saint Patrick’s Day drives me crazy.
Saint Patrick’s Day is the feast day of none other than Saint Patrick. What began as a religious celebration has now blown up into an international day to get drunk and be belligerent. And that’s only the start of it. What drives me the craziest is the offensive slogans and phrases that are etched across the chests of people on March 17, or any other day usually deemed “Faddy’s Day” (or fake Saint Patrick’s Day) that celebrates Irish heritage in smaller communities.
When stores, such as Walmart and Spencer’s, sell these shirts, they think that they’re being funny. What they don’t realize is that putting these terrible stereotypes on all people of Irish heritage are terribly offensive.
Truth be told, these are disgusting and just so wrong on so many levels. I’m all for anyone having a good time, and if being drunk is how you want to spend your day, be my guest. But this stereotype is underserved, regardless of what you might think you know about Irish people, their culture, and how they act on Saint Patrick’s Day.
For more reference, a Long Island man buys hundreds of dollars worth of these products to try and stop the stereotype. Much like myself, Kevin Westley agrees that these shirts reinforce the idea that Irish culture is all about drinking and he is not having any of it. On March 18th, Westley returns all the offensive things that he took off the shelves to get his money back–every. Single. Year.
Personally, I’m on Kevin’s side. Of course on Saint Patrick’s Day, I’ll be in the city celebrating my Irish heritage with the beautiful sound of bagpipes. But partake in the wearing of one of these shirts? Not a shot in hell.
