As winter approaches many are seeking to avert its discontent thinking instead of spring the season of rebirth. And with spring comes St. Patrick’s Day and with that the New York parade honoring this saint. Yet the marchers still prohibit Irish gays from marching as their own in the grand procession.
I just finished reading How The Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill and learned how they truly saved all learning as scribes in the monasteries of Ireland copying down all the books from the ancient Greeks, Romans and Hebrews, all of which would have been lost but for these dedicated loving monks . And then, soon after, spreading knowledge back out to Scotland, England and then Europe only in the end to be thanked for their heroics by being crushed by the Vikings, the English and the famine but never giving up and rising again at home and around the world as a great people.
The Irish did not pick or chose what they copied they were open to all ideas and thus they saved a great deal of what would have been lost with the fall of Rome. With all this suffering and all these heroics and all this openness should not they then be open to compassion towards all groups including the LGBTQ community that wishes to honor the saint as well by marching under their own banner. For the saint brought not just peace and understanding to the Irish but an end to human bondage. So why not let the LGBTQ community have its freedom to march in the parade.
Why fight what has always existed? Why not throw down your swords and embrace others much as the monks gave up violence and embraced the ancient ideas? Like those monks saving our planet you could save the gay teens committing suicide or suffering violence or abuse or being forced to live secret lives outside straight society. Save those in need as St. Patrick did 15 centuries ago. Let them march, let them all march in one joyous procession.
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