State Senator calls St Patrick’s Day shirts insulting and degrading to Irish Americans

Irish protest 'Everyone loves a drunk slut,' 'Rub my jugs,' and 'Buy me a shot’ T-shirts

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Sen. David Carlucci denounces Spencer's insulting St Patrick's Day T-shirts during a press conference on March 1, 2013.

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State Senator David Carlucci may have Italian heritage, but racially insulting Saint Patrick's Day merchandise still gets his Irish up.

According to The Journal News, Carlucci is calling on the Palisades Center in West Nyack, New York to insist a store on its premises stop selling merchandise that insults Irish Americans.

In the event that the store overlooks its calls, Carlucci is asking that shoppers simply stop shopping at a venue that they say clearly supports this degrading behavior.

Carlucci  joined the Rockland County Ancient Order of Hibernians and concerned community members on Friday to denounce the sale of offending T-shirts, hats and other clothing that revels in drunkenness and rampant sexism.

'We are going to vote with our pocketbook,' said Carlucci. 'We are not going to support an organization that allows this offensive material.'

The group has reportedly singled out a store named Spencer’s, a chain store located in the mall, which they say has refused to stop selling items that openly  mock Irish culture and feed into outrageous ethnic stereotypes.

Protesters pointed to items of clothing they had earlier purchased Spencer’s, including green t-shirts that read, 'Everyone loves a drunk slut,' 'Rub my jugs,' and 'Buy me a shot. I’m Irish and hot.'

'What’s up with shirts deriding women?' asked Pat McAndrews of Nanuet who was at the rally. 'I’m appalled. It’s disgusting.'

Around her people held up signs that said, 'No nationality deserves insults - boycott stores that attack Irish Americans' and 'Irish culture is not for sale.' Another sign read: 'We say it’s disgusting, vulgar, filthy, hateful. The mall says it’s just a joke.'

That last sign was reportedly a reference to the Palisades Center management, who failed to remove the merchandize after complaints were received. The mall failed to understand what the fuss was about, the protestors said.

'They didn’t know what the issue was. It was disheartening,' said George Leahy.

The mall did return a call for comment to the Journal News.

Carlucci isn’t the first New York politician to tackle the now annual issue. Last year the Rockland County Legislature adopted a resolution calling on the Palisades Center mall management and retailers to stop selling the offensive items. T-shirts were reportedly pulled from shelves, only to be put back on display a few weeks ago.

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