An Open Letter to my Grandfather

international | anti-war / imperialism | opinion/analysis

Thursday October 14, 2004 03:48

by James F. Harrington - Socialist Workers Party

How Erin's Son's Have Been Used By the Capitalists

Open letter to my grandfather, Austin A. O’Malley, who I never really got to know, as he died when I was only four years old. He came over to the United States from his native country, Ireland around 1889, as a little boy of eleven years.

Like many other Irishmen from Louisburg, County Mayo, he settled in Clinton, Massachusetts.
I know that he worked there for a baker for awhile untill the Spanish American War broke out.

I also know that he was in and out of the Veteran’s Hospital all through his life. I also know that he liked to drink at bars in South Boston, sometimes with his dog beside him.

Teddy Roosevelt with His Rough Riders in Cuba

Grandpa,

You came to this country as a little boy, looking for a better way of life for yourself and future family, of which I shall always be grateful.

When war against Spain broke out, I can just see you in my mind, standing around a bar in Clinton, Massachusetts, slugging down some cold ones after a hard days work.

Someone yells out...Did you hear the latest news? Those bastard Spaniards just blew up the battleship Maine outside Havana harbor!

Let’s go kick some Spanish ass!!!

Remember the Maine!!!

You and many other Irish lads signed right up joined Company K, 9th Massachusetts Infantry to defend your adopted country and to prove your patriotism.

You all did this to defend America against the so-called “Terrorists”, who threatened our freedoms and security.

Grandpa...I pray that you didn’t kill or maim anyone while you were down in Cuba.

I know that you and your buddies sincerely believed that you were doing the right thing in joining up to fight the Spanish, but I must inform you that the Spanish were not the Terrorists, but rather you all were used by evil and sinister men in Washington, who knew all along that the explosion that blew up the battleship Maine, was due to an internal explosion that occurred deep down in the magazine department and was not the work of the Spanish!

Right after this country expelled the Spanish from Cuba, Capitalist entrepreneurs from the United States went to Cuba and took over all the sugar fields, just as they had planned from the start!

They did the same in the Philippines and Puerto-Rico, not to mention the sovereign nation of Hawaii, where the good ol’ U.S.A. dethroned their Queen in order to take over all the sugar and pineapple fields!

Grandpa, the real terrorists were not the Spanish, but the sinister Capitalists in Washington, who couldn’t have cared less how many young Americans, Spanish and Cuban lives were lost.

Their only concern as it is to this very day, is the amassing of capital, not the freedom of the world’s people as they would like us to believe.

The people in Cuba had complete freedom long before this country attacked them. The thieves in Washington lied to the American people about Spanish atrocities against the Cuban people, which later were proven to never have taken place.

Grandpa...the American’s attacked Cuba and these other countries and enslaved their people with its dirty web of Capitalism!

The same tactics are still being used by the butchers in Washington against the nations of the world. “The United States will liberate you from your oppressors!” Ha!!!

In 1991, pa-pa Bush used a fifteen year old girl to appear before a joint session of Congress and swear that the Iraqi’s were going into hospitals in Kuwait and removing the plugs from babies incubators. This was enough to get this country to attack Sadamn’s forces.

Later, after thousands had died, with several oil wells aflame ( by U.S.) the truth finally came out that everything that this girl had said before the joint section of Congress was all a pack of lies. She turned out to be an daughter of a Saudi diplomat who had very close ties with the Bush family.

During the Viet-nam war, our leaders lied to us with their story about the destroyer Maddox being attacked by several North Viet-namese patrol boats. This was a complete fabrication, which Washington used to greatly escalate our countrys involvement in Viet-nam.

Right now, Grandpa, the dirty, blood thirsty Capitalists are rushing into Iraq and through their little puppets, are stealing that nations oil reserves until they become dry and non-existent.

Your grandson,

Jimmy
See also:
http://www.wsws.org
http://www.internationalANSWER.org

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Comments (10 of 10)

Young Enough to KNow Everything

by toneore

Thu Oct 14, 2004 09:28

toneore at eircom dot net

Disgusting. The memory of a dead grandather used as a device to carry a cheap political message, premised by the usual "we know better than you, you were WRONG". What an appalling and cynical individual you are.

Dear Grandson,

by Austin A. O’Malley

Thu Oct 14, 2004 12:08

I know you've been trying to contact me for many years now, and unfortuanately had chosen to post your articles on the wrong newswires and chatrooms where we the dead veterans of american imperialist wars don't really hang out. Hey, don't worry about it kid. I had a great time in Cuba, it was the most fun I ever had, and well that's it, I've got ---- go----now---- (johnny cash send his love) --- Roosevelt doesn't deserve the illustration ---- say hi to your parents.

Dear Long Lost cousin!

by concha de la putita

Thu Oct 14, 2004 12:40

Dear James,
this is wonderful, I had never thought this moment of honour would come to our family. My grand-mother worked on a farm in Havana during the Spanish American War and started a romantic relationship with a young Irish man by the name of Austin o'Malley, the fruit of which was my mother, Rosita. She spent all her life doing her best to find our lost grand-father, but to no avail. Sadly she passed on some time ago, but thanks to the internet, we've been able to keep in touch. Today she's was helping us download some Ibraham Ferrar songs for a posthumous album we are producing of the buena vista social club, when Johnny Cash came in, all excited because someone "on the other side" had asked for him. Well you can imagine the laughter and spectral delight, when we all realised what had happened.
Of course my family left Cuba several years ago, and we rafted the 100km to Florida where I have a succesful career in radio Free Cuba, and work part-time as one of Gloria Estafan's manacurists. But Cousin!!!
(once removed) we have to meet up. Do you have red pubes too?

Factcheck

by Michael Hennigan

Thu Oct 14, 2004 14:12

on a more serious note....some of the history here is a little suspect.

Re: 'The people in Cuba had complete freedom long before this country attacked them.'

The origin of the term 'concentration camp' dates back to the Spanish 'reconcentrado' system in Cuba, which required the rural population to move to central locations under Spanish military jurisdiction. The Spanish response to armed Cuban attacks resulted in death camps of squalor, starvation and disease.

...the above isn't an argument for William Randolph Hearst's 'splendid little war.'

Dear Grandson

by Grandpa

Thu Oct 14, 2004 15:08

Dear Grandson,

Much as I appreciate your little sanctimonious critique of the choices I made in my life at a time in history when people didn't have the same choices you do, it pains me that you are so enmeshed in sloganeering that your writing style is both turgid and embarassingly trite.

One piece of grandfatherly advice - don't become a fiction writer until you've grown up a bit and seen the world. Your attempt at the epistolry genre is pitiful and annoying, and having been brought up in Ireland I can assure you that the Irish - whatever their political persuasion - will find your simplistic view of an Irish emigrant's life combined with SWP propaganda to be deeply irritating. In fact, I'd say members of the Irish branch of the SWP will find your posting somewhat embarassing too.

Yours with concern,
Grandpa.

Grand Pa Hung By American's

by GreenPartyMike - GreenParty USA

Fri Oct 15, 2004 06:32

My Dearest Grandson,
It grieves me to see that you have believed what the corporate media says about what happened.

In actuality, myself and a few lads joined the Brigades de San Patricio, St Patricks Brigade fighting against the brutal, and racist American Army. As Irishmen, we had faced England's thuggery, bigotry and racism and seen it mirrored in the Americans. Unfortunately we were caught and hung by the American forces.

There is a statue honouring us in the capital of Mexico City. Look us up some time and have a pint for us.

Yours,

Grand Da

You should go and visit Eire James....

by King Amdo

Thu Oct 21, 2004 09:45

It's a special place, and they Irish are good people.

Please also be aware James, that the Irish people will never ever ever allow some sort of communist revolution to happen here. They would never stand for it.

COMPASSION!

Blessings,

King Amdo.

IRISH TRIBAL SOVERIGNTY!

TIBETAN TRIBAL SOVERIGNTY!

Letter to (Great?) Grandpa

by Voice of Reason

Thu Oct 21, 2004 13:28

I think you need to go to a web site with a spirit medium. We can't helprealy the message here.

the D.G.A.

by Dead Grandfather's Association

Sat Oct 23, 2004 12:12

would like to confirm that we were the spectral organisation of dead grandfathers who tripped up Fidel Castro. We have existed since the beginning of American imperialist policy and we operate a no-platform policy for ageing dictators, and thanks to recent improved funding from our partner association "Dead Grandmothers of living Manicurists to Gloria Estafan" were able to acheive this startling and let's be honest here _completely Fortean_ other world blow for freedom and capital, in the run up to the US presidential election as well.

We have succeeded therefore where both the Mafia and JFK failed.
A vote for Bush
is a vote for death.

STOP THIS...IT'S SILLY!!!!

by Python chacter

Sat Oct 23, 2004 13:16

This is a very silly sketch....So stop it at once!Go on... Clear off!!!

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An Open Letter to my Grandfather

Comments (10 of 10)