Driving a wedge between us

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1854 Redux

The famine pushed the Irish huddled mass across the sea

And many heard Rhode Island was the land of liberty

The Irish had to deal with bigotry and hate

The natives shouted epithets such as ‘Micks on the Make’

And some feared that the Irish laborers would steal their jobs

Even churches weren’t immune from hostile, anti-Irish mobs

The new Know-Nothing party started secretly to meet

No Irish Need Apply” signs sprouted up along the street

The party fed on people’s insecurity and fears

Reflected anti-Irish prejudice of English heirs

Know-Nothings came to power in the vote of ‘54

But by the next election, wiser heads showed them the door

Each Irish immigrant and every famine refugee

Faced bigotry and hatred I the Land of Liberty

Hate reared its ugly head to them in city, town and range

It really is a tragedy that some things never change

Those early Irish immigrants (poor things!) they never saw

That their descendants would stand here and help to make the law

And since the children of those immigrants now lead the way

We can’t forget the pain that’s felt by refugees today

Being Irish and American will be forever tied

To our freedoms and our birthright - a tremendous source of pride

Movements that appeal only to prejudice and fear

Are a threat to civil rights that all Americans hold dear”

They say history repeats itself: if so, 2016 may be 1854 all over again.

A century and a half ago, Irish fled the famine and poverty of their homeland, in search of hope and opportunity along America’s promised “streets of gold.” What they found was not gold, but hatred, fear and bigotry. Fear - fanned by the new, Know-Nothing party - preyed on insecurity and ignorance among citizens that Irish laborers would steal their jobs and ruin their communities. Secret meetings were held by this new Party; shop window signs proclaimed “Help Wanted: Irish Need Not Apply;” and the new Americans, who simply wanted their place in this new world, soon learned they were anything but welcome.

The Know-Nothings had a short run at glory - just one term before they were defeated. And what they didn’t know then that we know now, is that the Irish – and the succeeding waves of immigrants from across the globe – only made America stronger.

Fast forward to 2016, and we are witnessing a similar scene.

The Republican Party front-runner, Donald J. Trump, has seized fear and frustration among American voters to blame on innocent new Americans, whether you are Latino or Muslim – or for that matter, a woman, disabled, member of the media, or even a former Prisoner of War.

Trump has managed to drive a wedge between “us and them,” in this great nation of ours and brought us back to darker days. Ironically, the very party that spawned Trump now spurs him, because even they recognize the dangers of his vitriol and hate-mongering. But it’s a little late, and the other Republicans have all done their fair share of wall-building. They are still months out from the election but one thing’s for sure, those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.

Joseph M. McNamara, Chair of the R.I. Democratic Party, state Representative from District 15 (Warwick, Cranston,), presented this St. Patrick’s Day poem which he wrote to the R.I. House of Representatives on March 16, 2016.

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