Moroney: Offensive Merchandise Misrepresents Irish Heritage

Rockland County Legislator Patrick Moroney held a press conference this afternoon to call upon local merchants to refrain from the sale or display of St. Patrick’s Day merchandise that contains derogatory or defamatory messages and misrepresents Irish heritage and tradition.  The Chairman of the Legislature Alden H. Wolfe, Legislators Douglas Jobson and Ilan Schoenberger, County Executive Ed Day, and Irish community leaders including Brendan Moore, President of the National Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH), Neil Cosgrove, National Chairman of the AOH Defamation Committee and Jim McDonald, 2014 Grand Marshall of the local St. Patrick’s Day Parade joined Legislator Moroney at the 3:00 p.m. press conference in support of his message.

 “This is an issue that recurs annually as we approach St. Patrick’s Day,” stated Legislator Moroney.  “And each year members of our large Irish community and this Legislature call upon merchants to stop selling or at the very least, stop displaying merchandise that is offensive to people of Irish heritage and demeans the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, a national tradition.  I give credit to the many local merchants, both large and small, who listened to our concerns and will not sell or display this type of offensive merchandise.  To those that have resisted, I can only hope that our message rings more clear this year.  This merchandise is offensive, it is not funny, and it is hurtful to people of Irish heritage.”

Chairman Wolfe noted his pride in Rockland’s diverse communities and cultures. “Disparaging any group with inappropriate slurs weakens us all,” said Wolfe.  “We must all stand up against hate speech, whether it’s a message on a T-shirt or spoken remarks in public.”    Legislator Jobson said, “There are 40 million Americans of Irish heritage.  That’s 40 million insults, year after year, from manufacturers and  merchants who refuse to understand how hurtful this merchandise is to the Irish.  Is that a wise business decision?”  Legislator Schoenberger added, “We face this issue every year.  This merchandise sends the wrong message to our community and especially to our children, that it is okay, cool or humorous to denigrate a part of our society.  It is neither and it’s the wrong message.”  County Executive Day said, "Using Irish stereotypes to sell merchandise is inappropriate and totally offensive.  It's unfortunate that we see unscrupulous retailers demean an entire culture to make a buck every March."

“Going forward,” said Legislator Moroney, ”the AOH leadership will form a committee to work on this matter, to educate manufacturers and merchants with the goal to eliminate this offensive merchandise from the marketplace.  This merchandise is an insult to the generations of proud Irish people that made many contributions and many sacrifices for the benefit of this country.”