An Appeal For Human Rights For Everyone-Everywhere-All The Time

As a proud American who is married to a lady [Eileen McLaughlin], who immigrated from Northern Ireland over 50 years ago, and who is a proud nationalized American citizen, we both admire how our America is sincerely committed to Human Rights, in the broadest meaning of the two words, for all human beings. If not perfect, as all human enterprises/institutions are flawed, our Government tries its best.

And as a former United States Marine, I especially love America for playing such a gigantic and heroic role in saving Europe and the Far East in WW II. Thousands of American lives were lost in the ugly struggle for the Human Rights of people. Millions of others lost all their Human Rights to the then evil governments of Germany and Japan.

Among our allies in that greatest world war ever, was the British Empire/United Kingdom of the time. The British Empire people fought courageously and suffered incredible losses of lives of the military and civilians, especially England. After the war, Great Britain/England joined many of nations of the world who suffered from the horror of the war in seeking justice for those guilty of the war crimes.

Ironically, just a few years later, this same Great Britain/England Government waged war against the Irish Catholic Nationalists living in Northern Ireland who sought freedom from the Empire, as many other nations did, such as America, the Republic of Ireland [although not total freedom] and India as well as Social Justice and Human Rights. England turned a deaf ear and pointed their guns at the 600,000 plus Irish Catholics, who were their citizens.

It was/is known as the "Troubles" or the "Northern Conflict" or the "irregular/low level war". It went from 1968 to 1998, when the Good Friday Agreement came into being. Eileen and I spent the afternoon of the vote on the Agreement with Gerry Adams in his office as guests of the late Danny Withers of Rockland, who was Gerry's childhood neighbor. We were honored and excited to personally bear witness to such an historical event.

In the course of England's determination to stifle, crush, punish the resident Irish Catholic Nationalists and advocates for Social, Civil and Cultural Justice, many unnecessary and ghoulish war crimes were committed against innocent Irish Catholics who were not guilty of any crime or even an act of violence. Children, women, senior citizens were shot to death in their homes, in the streets, by soldiers, mercenaries and Englishmen for no purpose or reason. They acted as gangsters and nazis in some cases. Over 557 innocent Irish Catholics were simply murdered. The British Royalty and its Prime Minister knew what was going on and did nothing to stop it.

To learn more about the killing of innocents by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Ulster Regiment visit Google and look up "Bloody Sunday Massacre" in the City of Derry and the "Ballymurphy Massacre" in the City of Belfast as demonstrative examples.

Ironically, the British who tried and punished the WW II war criminals refuse to try and punish their murderers who unnecessarily killed, women and children and innocent men. Promises from the British that there would be fair and proper investigation never happened. They signed the "Stormont Agreement" in 2014 and the "Fresh Start Agreement" in 2015 after the Good Friday Agreement. In each case they lied about it and delayed acting up to the present, almost four decades. And keep in mind that the Good Friday Agreement's intent was/is issues relating to sovereignty, civil and cultural rights, decommissioning of weapons, demilitarization, justice and policing were central to the agreement. Note the word JUSTICE.

Time is running out now for the loved ones of those who were criminally murdered to receive truth and justice. They cannot bring their dead back but want their names honored. They want the criminal murderers to be publicly identified. The injustice, cruel and horror murders should be put before the world in honor and respect for the murder victims and their loved ones, as well as in respect to the more than 32 million Americans of Irish blood and the Irish Americans who fought and died in Europe's WW II. And of course the families that left the death fields of Northern Ireland to come to America and live the lives of Good Citizen in the State of New York deserve justice indeed.

Now in the eleventh hour, the USA will be negotiating Trade deals with Britain, which is supposedly our closest our ally, partner and friend. So doesn't it make sense that we demand as champions of Human Rights that they keep their promises to the Irish Catholics all over the world, including the millions of Americans of Irish blood before we close any Trade Deals. We are demanding such from China and Russia, why not England ? Justice is for everyone, everywhere, all the time.

If you agree, please let our Representatives in Washington know.

US Senator Schumer - One Park Place Suite 100 - Peekskill NY 10566 - tel 914-734-1532
US Senator Gillibrand - P.O. Box 749 - Yonkers NY 10710 - tel 845-875-4585
Congressman Mondaire Jones - 222 Mamaroneck Ave Suite 312 - White Plains - NY 10605 - tel 914-323-5550

This plea for Justice is Co-Sponsored by the Honorable Orangetown Councilman Denis Troy and Member of Division III of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in Rockland County.

and by the Honorable County Legislator Vincent Tyer who is the Chair of the "New York State Freedom For All Ireland" of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.