San Diego is My Home

One Response for "St. Patrick’s Day"

1. Pat Flannery

   March 13th, 2008 at 5:54 pm

   1

   I am outraged that the San Diego Parade Committee has become so blatantly partisan politically as to honor mayoral candidate Jerry Sanders and to exclude mayoral candidate Steve Francis from the parade.

   The parade committee first accepted his application and his money and informed him that he was in the parade as a private citizen, then a notorious Sanders’ supporter and member of the Parade Board, Bob Wilhite of the Red Cross, took it upon himself to personally deliver Mr. Francis’ entry money back to his campaign office yesterday, March 12.

   I am a 30 year resident of San Diego, originally from Ireland and was a member of the very first Parade Organizing Committee and for many years thereafter. I am very sad to see that there is now not one Irish-born person on that Parade Board.

   It has been taken over by a cadre of right-wing Republicans who know nothing about Ireland or its culture and history and could care less. They use the Parade to promote their own favorite politicians, in this case Sanders. Dick Murphy used it blatantly for self-promotion. While she was Mayor, Maureen O’Connor barely managed to get into the parade as a private citizen and then only under great protest from the Republican elite on the Parade Board.

   I think that this year the Parade Board should either allow Steve Francis back in or ask Jerry Sanders to just write the usual official letter from the Mayor and withdraw.

   This is totally unacceptable behavior for an event using the internationally loved brand name of “Ireland” or “Irish”.

   Pat Flannery