Make No Mistake: Torture Degrades Everyone Involved

By BostonIrish.com... (not verified)
June 3, 2011

With the death of Osama bin Laden, the debate about “enhanced interrogation” techniques has heated up. I wonder whether the Gestapo referred to it as the German equivalent of enhanced interrogation when they tortured prisoners during World War II.

Certainly they were motivated by national security – a desire to uncover plots and save the lives of German troops and civilians – as are we. Yet the torturers of World War II, when they were identified, were tried as war criminals.

McAleese Hails ‘Renaissance Man’ Garret FitzGerald: Fine Gael Prime Minister dead at 85; Helped Set Stage for ‘98 Peace Accord

By Shawn Pogatchnik, Associated Press
June 3, 2011
Shawn Pogatchnik, Associated Press

Garret FitzGerald: AP PhotoAP PhotoDUBLIN — Garret FitzGerald, a beloved figure who as Ireland’s prime minister in the 1980s was an early architect for peace in neighboring Northern Ireland, died on Thurs., May 19, in a Dublin hospital, the government and his family announced. He was 85.

Of Torture and the Problem of Good and Evil: Congressman Peter King’s Selective Memory Speaks for Many in Boston and Beyond

By Peter F. Stevens, Reporter Staff
June 3, 2011
Peter F. Stevens, Reporter Staff

Peter King / AP Pool PhotoPeter King / AP Pool PhotoWaterboarding, sensory deprivation, beatings, and other “enhanced interrogation techniques” – are these viable and morally justifiable means to an end in the struggle against terrorism? Does a nation’s ongoing struggle against those who unleash terrorist attacks against civilians justify torture to stop such unbridled evil? A great many people I’ve spoken to in these parts agree with Long Island Congressman Peter King, whose answer is a strident “yes.”

Dark History in Two Parts

By Bill O'Donnell
June 3, 2011
Bill O'Donnell

Dark History In Two Parts – The Rhode Island House of Representatives took a giant step forward for justice last month when they cleared the name of an Irish immigrant who was hanged on Valentine’s Day, 1845. John Gordon, 29, was convicted of murdering a well-connected mill owner and brother of a sitting U.S. senator in ugly circumstances that reflected the strong anti-Irish sentiment of the day.

British Seeking IRA Testimonies in BC Archives: University Mulls Moves on Subpoena

By BostonIrish.com... (not verified)
June 2, 2011

The U.S. attorney’s office in Massachusetts, acting on behalf of British officials, has served Boston College with a subpoena as part of an effort by law enforcement authorities in Northern Ireland to obtain files from the university’s oral history collection on the Troubles that plagued the North going back 40 years and more. The college is deciding how to respond to the call for the testimonies, which were obtained under a promise of confidentiality-until-death.

A Queen and a President Leave Irish Eyes Smiling

By Joe Leary
June 2, 2011
Joe Leary

It was remarkable, really. Both visits, Queen Elizabeth’s and President Obama’s, were triumphant victories for the Irish people. What small country has the power to attract as much investment, tourism, and attention as Ireland? This magical island and its people deserve all the good fortune that the United States and the United Kingdom shower upon it.

Obama Visit to Moneygall Stirs Interest in Ancestry

By Ed Forry
June 2, 2011

AP Pool PhotoAP Pool Photo The visit to Ireland of President Obama last month, brief ation of ancestral research into sharp focus. His stop-over at Moneygall, a village in Co. Offaly a couple of hours outside Dublin, was billed as the president’s own search for his ancestral roots. Obama spent several hours visiting the land of his maternal ancestors, some of whom were, in the 18th century, politically active and ambitious Dubliners, including the city’s most successful wigmaker.

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