- Sep 22, 2013
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I've always been fascinated by stories about the drama of historical colonialization and the differing 'forms' of rebellion/revolution it gives rise to (e.g., Algeria, India, America, South Africa, etc.). Of particular interest to me (despite the fact that I'm a Catholic of Indian origin) is the rebellion-struggle of the Irish (IRA).
The Irish are a culturally-distinct people with their own unique language and way of speaking and praying, however, the Irish were more-or-less 'colonized' by the British Empire and became a 'colony' of England. Then, a serious rebellion came around during the Easter Rising of 1916 (led by Irish-patriot Tom Clarke and espoused by Irish freedom-fighters Michael Collins and Eamon DeValera).
Ireland eventually won pseudo-independence, but Northern Ireland was 'kept' by England and maintained as a predominantly Protestant British-settled land (even though the Irish are predominantly Catholic). The partition of Ireland led to the 'evolution' of the IRA, and future generations of IRA members worked to free Northern Ireland from the grip of Great Britain.
These 'developments' were depicted in the two symbolic modern-era films Michael Collins (Liam Neeson) and The Devil's Own (Brad Pitt).
What sets the 'Irish-struggle' apart (in general) is that the cultural distinctiveness of the Irish makes for incredible patriotism-folklore and land-based human emotions (e.g., migration).
I've also been intrigued by the eccentric story of Patty Hearst (grand-daughter of American journalism icon William Randolph Hearst) who was kidnapped (and raped) by members of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) and then inducted into their rebellion. Patty joined the group and even committed a daring bank-robbery for the group. She was ultimately pardoned for her crimes by U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton (claiming she was assaulted and brainwashed into joining the SLA!).
So I wanted to fashion a modernism IRA folk-tale about a fictional Irish-Catholic woman modelled after Patty Hearst(!).
This parable (very important to me as a Catholic) was inspired by the historical-drama Bandit Queen.
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Patty was an indignant and passionate Irish-Catholic woman (24 years-of-age) living in Dublin, Ireland and daydreaming about 'personally liberating' the oppressed Irish-Catholics living in Belfast (Northern Ireland), which was still 'run' by British Protestants(!). Patty was indignant about British rule and passionate about Catholic liberty. She was also a fan of comic books and read Wonder Woman (DC Comics) and Spider-Woman (Marvel Comics) regularly, which she purchased conveniently from Amazon.com). Patty was also an admirer of U.S. senator Hillary Clinton (hard-working wife of controversy-embroiled U.S. President Bill Clinton, an Irish-Catholic!). Patty imagined herself to be like Spider-Woman while Hillary was like Wonder Woman.
On her 25th birthday, Patty decided to travel to the democracy-friendly nation of America where she could petition with Senator Hillary Clinton about greater social reform and awareness of the Irish-Catholic struggles in Northern Ireland. Patty managed to meet with Hillary and told her about how so many 'liberated' Irish-Catholic woman in Dublin (Ireland) meditated about the plight of their oppressed sisters in Belfast (Northern Ireland). Hillary explained to patty that the U.S. government (e.g., Bill Clinton) worked closely and for a long time with Irish representatives and members of Sinn Feinn (including Gerry Adams!) and Belfast would not be 'forgotten.'
Patty realized that the U.S. government's approach was basically a laissez-faire idealism, but no one understood that the oppressed Irish-Catholics living in Belfast were actually completely spiritually frustrated. Patty decided to move to Belfast and join the new IRA. She was welcomed as a sharp idealist, but one night, three IRA men raped her and explained to her that she was now their 'nightingale.' She would be required to do their bidding (though she wouldn't be raped again!). Patty helped the IRA rob a bank in Belfast and then kill two British policemen drinking at a pub. She gained the nickname "Catholic Cadet" (CC). Patty liked the title and continued to refer to herself even as 'CC.'
CC decided to travel back to America, this time with greater arms and confidence, and meet once again with Hillary Clinton. CC was now 28 years-of-age and very committed to the overlooked demands of the Irish-Catholic living in Northern Ireland. CC decided to kidnap Hillary Clinton and hold her for ransom until a CNN news-crew arrived to hear her special video-presentation(!). CC poured her heart into the video-presentation, and it would eventually become a very symbolic 'trophy' in the history of the struggles of Irish-Catholics as well as the history of Catholicism in general. Only time would tell, however, if CC would be considered a saint or a terrorist. CC committed suicide on video after delivering her speech.
"My name is CC. I held Mrs. Hillary Clinton hostage so I could deliver this video-address. I was born in Dublin (Ireland) as an Irish-Catholic but eventually joined the 'new IRA' in Belfast (Northern Ireland), where I was 'seriously indoctrinated.' While I still do not agree with all the 'extreme' measures of the newer more radical IRA in Northern Ireland, I still hold firm to my belief that religion-oriented struggles arising from cultural-difference catalysed 'problems' between the colonialist and the colonialized create terrible windows into the jagged edge of the human psyche. Do Catholic women have a right to devote their lives to political catechisms?"
====
The Irish are a culturally-distinct people with their own unique language and way of speaking and praying, however, the Irish were more-or-less 'colonized' by the British Empire and became a 'colony' of England. Then, a serious rebellion came around during the Easter Rising of 1916 (led by Irish-patriot Tom Clarke and espoused by Irish freedom-fighters Michael Collins and Eamon DeValera).
Ireland eventually won pseudo-independence, but Northern Ireland was 'kept' by England and maintained as a predominantly Protestant British-settled land (even though the Irish are predominantly Catholic). The partition of Ireland led to the 'evolution' of the IRA, and future generations of IRA members worked to free Northern Ireland from the grip of Great Britain.
These 'developments' were depicted in the two symbolic modern-era films Michael Collins (Liam Neeson) and The Devil's Own (Brad Pitt).
What sets the 'Irish-struggle' apart (in general) is that the cultural distinctiveness of the Irish makes for incredible patriotism-folklore and land-based human emotions (e.g., migration).
I've also been intrigued by the eccentric story of Patty Hearst (grand-daughter of American journalism icon William Randolph Hearst) who was kidnapped (and raped) by members of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) and then inducted into their rebellion. Patty joined the group and even committed a daring bank-robbery for the group. She was ultimately pardoned for her crimes by U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton (claiming she was assaulted and brainwashed into joining the SLA!).
So I wanted to fashion a modernism IRA folk-tale about a fictional Irish-Catholic woman modelled after Patty Hearst(!).
This parable (very important to me as a Catholic) was inspired by the historical-drama Bandit Queen.
====
Patty was an indignant and passionate Irish-Catholic woman (24 years-of-age) living in Dublin, Ireland and daydreaming about 'personally liberating' the oppressed Irish-Catholics living in Belfast (Northern Ireland), which was still 'run' by British Protestants(!). Patty was indignant about British rule and passionate about Catholic liberty. She was also a fan of comic books and read Wonder Woman (DC Comics) and Spider-Woman (Marvel Comics) regularly, which she purchased conveniently from Amazon.com). Patty was also an admirer of U.S. senator Hillary Clinton (hard-working wife of controversy-embroiled U.S. President Bill Clinton, an Irish-Catholic!). Patty imagined herself to be like Spider-Woman while Hillary was like Wonder Woman.
On her 25th birthday, Patty decided to travel to the democracy-friendly nation of America where she could petition with Senator Hillary Clinton about greater social reform and awareness of the Irish-Catholic struggles in Northern Ireland. Patty managed to meet with Hillary and told her about how so many 'liberated' Irish-Catholic woman in Dublin (Ireland) meditated about the plight of their oppressed sisters in Belfast (Northern Ireland). Hillary explained to patty that the U.S. government (e.g., Bill Clinton) worked closely and for a long time with Irish representatives and members of Sinn Feinn (including Gerry Adams!) and Belfast would not be 'forgotten.'
Patty realized that the U.S. government's approach was basically a laissez-faire idealism, but no one understood that the oppressed Irish-Catholics living in Belfast were actually completely spiritually frustrated. Patty decided to move to Belfast and join the new IRA. She was welcomed as a sharp idealist, but one night, three IRA men raped her and explained to her that she was now their 'nightingale.' She would be required to do their bidding (though she wouldn't be raped again!). Patty helped the IRA rob a bank in Belfast and then kill two British policemen drinking at a pub. She gained the nickname "Catholic Cadet" (CC). Patty liked the title and continued to refer to herself even as 'CC.'
CC decided to travel back to America, this time with greater arms and confidence, and meet once again with Hillary Clinton. CC was now 28 years-of-age and very committed to the overlooked demands of the Irish-Catholic living in Northern Ireland. CC decided to kidnap Hillary Clinton and hold her for ransom until a CNN news-crew arrived to hear her special video-presentation(!). CC poured her heart into the video-presentation, and it would eventually become a very symbolic 'trophy' in the history of the struggles of Irish-Catholics as well as the history of Catholicism in general. Only time would tell, however, if CC would be considered a saint or a terrorist. CC committed suicide on video after delivering her speech.
"My name is CC. I held Mrs. Hillary Clinton hostage so I could deliver this video-address. I was born in Dublin (Ireland) as an Irish-Catholic but eventually joined the 'new IRA' in Belfast (Northern Ireland), where I was 'seriously indoctrinated.' While I still do not agree with all the 'extreme' measures of the newer more radical IRA in Northern Ireland, I still hold firm to my belief that religion-oriented struggles arising from cultural-difference catalysed 'problems' between the colonialist and the colonialized create terrible windows into the jagged edge of the human psyche. Do Catholic women have a right to devote their lives to political catechisms?"
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