Announcing the worst of St. Patrick’s Day 2011 - POLL

@expatrick: Ah now lad, they have more than 100 words for that. You've got to count regional variations like 'langered' and 'f***ed'

On point 5, I'm Irish. I've always been Irish and I don't go to parades. I don't do a family day out. I don't go to church. I did go to a party though and bend an elbow in honour of my birth country. So I honestly don't see a problem with that.

You.

the next article on this site was about understanding irish slang it reads: “He was completely locked/langered/pissed/elephants” He was completely drunk,loaded, pissed (They say the eskimos have thirty words for snow because it is so important to them, the Irish must have 100 for drink/drunk) Now whose promoting stereotypes

Right on borefield. Blacks would never tolerate demeaning icons in anything associated with them. Somehow, the St. Patrick's Day parade, in too many places, has degenerated into nothing more than an excuse to get drunk - reinforcing the drunken Irish stereotype. The parade is no longer respectful of St. Patrick, the Irish, and Irish culture. Instead, it's been hijacked by immature obnoxious rowdies, with or without a drop of Irish ancestry, who get drunk, act like fools, and ruin it for everyone. This will continue until people demand changes and have zero tolerance for this behavior.

The Irish are fair game for anyone to Insult with cheap jokes and slurs. Blacks, Jews, Muslims, Hispanics are all protected, and if you make a slur against any of them there is a HIGH Price to pay. Ask Rhonan Tynan. Giving the likes og Mayor Bloomberg a slap on the wrist for his insulting remark was a classic example why the Irish continue to get slammed. Niall O'Dowd is a classic example of that. You have to command respect in order to get respect. We need to promote our wonderful culture more. Just read the April/May issue of Irish America, it's full of all the wonderful cultural places and events in NY and other cities. Yes, Niall O'Dowd is the Founding Publisher yet, he promotes conflicting opinions on just where his loyality is. Of course St. Patrick's Day is such a big money maker for the bars, restuarants and all the silly, degrading green junk that is sold it would indeed be an uphill battle to change that part of it. I like the idea of the reader who suggested having a bagpipe band in the Martin Luther King Parade. What would happen if people attended that parade dressed as watermelons, carring big basket balls and other demeaning icons that is sometimes associated with Black Culture. I can hear Sharpton now. I almost wish they would stop the St. Patrick's Day parades. The economy would suffer but maybe the Irish would be spared the embarrassment.

It's funny how you cant say anything about the blacks or other minorities, but the Irish always get it. They are constantly mocking the Irish, in fact most Irish do not drink. They are the hard working people who come here to build up this country Today they are lucky if they get a green card to come here. If they get one they do not come to freeload. The NYC ST Patrick's Day Parade was beautiful. Unfortunately, you have all those stupid kids yelling and screaming and drinking. Alot of them are not Irish.

Coldn't agree more with the fact that a lack of Irish heritage continues to proliferate more and more each year on St. Patrick's Day. We attended a "St. Patrick's Day" parade on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Heard more "Salsa" music than Irish and there wasn't a single bagpipe in sight!! Tired of our heritage being treated as a joke. Think I'll throw on a kilt and play some Flogging Molly at next years MLK parade!!!

I spent the evening trying to listen to one of my favorite trad bands in Grand Rapids, MI. They couldn't be heard above the din. At least this pub didn't serve green beer though (so, so wrong in so many ways). After I gave up on the music, my friend and I went to an upscale bar for conversation because it was the only place that wasn't trying to line their coffers by over-promoting St. Patrick's Day. After that we had to dodge all the drunken college students on the streets (most of whom were dressed as if it were "Green Halloween") getting to our cars. I made the comment to my friend that I bet the true Irish ridicule this country on St. Patrick's Day. Now I know it causes more disgust than mirth. I'm Scots-Irish by ancestry, and next year I think I'll go to Ireland for my favorite holiday.

Oh for god sake, can everyone just lighten up already!! I am Irish born and bred and i dont get what the big deal is, so we like a good time, i think its wonderful that all over the world this day is celebrated, i for one am "PROUD" to be Irish. xx

Too bad the Albany students couldn't take a page from Denver's St Patrick's Day celebrations. One of the resturants here has a Kegs and Eggs breakfast event each year that I don't think has ever hand any problems, just folks having fun, food, and a start to the day.

I was saw a statistic that alledged that 1 in 4 Americans are addicted to some destructive substance. In as much as Irish-Americans constitute 10-15% of the American population, the math says there are a lot more folks than Irish-Americans who are abusing substances, wouldn't you agree?

It's really horrible that the "Great Melting Pot" is filled with those who still are haters and promulgate the hate sterotypes of our various ethnic groups. Maybe it is jealousy of the myriad of contributions and accomplishments that some have achieved over others. Most likely it is a lack of education and quality upbringing that is missing in a lot of American families these days

For the first time in my adult life I was unable to celebrate the Saint's feast day in a pleasant, refined manner. I was aboard a cruise ship steaming toward Barcelona on the final day of a 21 day cruise. What really disturbed me was the extent to which the Ship, whose name I will not mention, recognized the day. The drink menus in all the bars had a special item, a pint of Green Bar for, get this, USD13.00 per pint. There was some talk of an Irish karaoke, but I didn't bother to pursue that.

Sterotypes tend to come from some truth. Like the criminal Blacks, and the money hungry Jews. Right?