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by Niall O'Dowd

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comment on article 6 Comments
Posted on Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at 08:49 AM


A warm welcome to David Cameron from Irish Americans


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A warm welcome to David Cameron who makes his first U.S. visit as British Prime Minister today.

When was the last time an Irish American publication made a Tory Prime Minster of Britain felt welcome in America?

The short answer is never.

Indeed, Margaret Thatcher inspired tens of thousands of Irish Americans to take to the streets after the Hunger Strikes of 1981 when ten men died. It is a long way from her to David Cameron.

But Cameron is different and has engendered enormous good will among Irish Americans.

That is hardly surprising given his immediate apology and acceptance of the Bloody Sunday report into the shooting of 14 innocent civilians by British paratroopers.

That was a classy move, no mealy mouthed approach, no stumbling over the truth, just a straightforward and open and abject apology for what had happened.

Then last week his government named Derry as the British City of Culture for 2013. Again, a helping hand at a time when Northern Ireland desperately needs it.

So welcome David Cameron and enjoy your first American visit.

It is historic in many ways, but also for Irish Americans,who usually regard Tory leaders as next to Beelzebub.

Not on this occasion.


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6 Comments

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Posted by Cristoir on Jul 26, 2010, 12:44 PM EDT
This is shocking! Is O'Dowd actually telling the truth? Did Cameron actually refer to Derry - and not the usual Brit-styled "Londonderry."
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Posted by hancock on Jul 20, 2010, 06:07 PM EDT
Too bad she didn't control the English terrorists spooks under her own nose at home.
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Posted by Strongbow on Jul 20, 2010, 04:46 PM EDT
Margaret Thatcher was one of the best British Prime Ministers. She was a vanguard against socialism at home and abroad and treated irish terrorists for the criminals they were. "Tens of thousands" of irish-americans may or may not have marched against her. But irish-americans have only, at best, a superficial understanding of irish let alone british history.
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Posted by KathyCallahan on Jul 20, 2010, 12:01 PM EDT
yes
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Posted by hyattsville on Jul 20, 2010, 11:16 AM EDT
Ideally yes, but if the myopic majority who comment on IC blogs are a fair representation of Irish America then I wouldn’t bank on any sort of welcome!
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Posted by DennisQ on Jul 20, 2010, 08:59 AM EDT
Cameron's statement implied that the paratroopers acted on their own. How convenient for the British government to blame the events of Bloody Sunday on low-ranking commanders. It's always the little guys who do all the bad stuff, isn't it? The American disgrace at Abu Ghraib was blamed on some wayward enlisted personnel on the night shift. Everybody breathed a sigh of relief when Specialist Charles Graner and Specialist Lynndie England went to prison.
 




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