Inside View

Get a Work Permit or Go to Jail

Published in The Irish Examiner, September 27, 2002

IN THE SUMMER OF 1973, I drifted off to sleep on a cold concrete slab, listening to a scratchy Oriental sing-song melody. Part of 72 hours in a mock POW camp in Colorado courtesy of Commandant Nguyen Tan Dong.

In the summer of 2002, I slipped in and out of sleep atop a well-used mattress pad on a cold concrete floor, listening to a screeching pop music melody. Part of one night in Mount Joy Prison, courtesy of Chief Officer Egan.

The two episodes have interesting parallels. As a POW in '73, I was blindfolded inside a small cage because I refused to sign papers. Inside The Joy, I stared drowsy at a blue-white fluorescent ceiling because I didn't have proper papers at Dublin Airport.

Ireland's Racist No Attitide

NEW YORK -- The Irish Echo appears on top of The New York Times in some news agents in Manhattan, reverberating some of the racist comments spewing forth from Ireland against the Nice Treaty.

Americans who opt to work in Ireland see the country as a gateway to Europe. Irish who say NO to Europe will only damage the perception some companies have of Ireland's open-minded and open market access. The Irish Echo has reported on hearing some blatantly racist comments while "doorstepping" the voters. One of the race cards played is the fear of the flood of immigrants that will arrive with passage of the Nice Treaty. As a native English speaker who was "refused leave to land" in Ireland, I have personal experience about this issue. Irish Immigration views itself as the Protector of Irish Jobs. Multicultural job expertise does not figure in its remit.

Ireland's Racist No Attitide

NEW YORK -- The Irish Echo appears on top of The New York Times in some news agents in Manhattan, reverberating some of the racist comments spewing forth from Ireland against the Nice Treaty.

Americans who opt to work in Ireland see the country as a gateway to Europe. Irish who say NO to Europe will only damage the perception some companies have of Ireland's open-minded and open market access. The Irish Echo has reported on hearing some blatantly racist comments while "doorstepping" the voters. One of the race cards played is the fear of the flood of immigrants that will arrive with passage of the Nice Treaty. As a native English speaker who was "refused leave to land" in Ireland, I have personal experience about this issue. Irish Immigration views itself as the Protector of Irish Jobs. Multicultural job expertise does not figure in its remit.

The Internet in the Iraqi Conflict

THE PENTAGON -- With a few clicks of a mouse, you can remove layers of security from the Pentagon’s war plans for Iraq. That’s because the American military leverages commercial satellites in its quest to execute one of the most explosive and shortest-lived conflicts next month. You can see many of these satellite images now.

Refused Leave to Land in Ireland

DUBLIN, Ireland -- A funny thing happened to me while passing through Immigration at the Dublin Airport. I was refused "leave to land" which means I don't get to return to my Kilkenny home just yet. Instead, I will comply with an order issued by Detective Garda Michael Walsh, a member of the Garda Immigration Bureau put into place to stem the rise of immigrants to Ireland.

Getting refused leave to land has happened to other Americans before. The Brits refused Captain Beefheart's Magic Band leave to land  years ago. At least 10 other hopeful passengers were rebuffed at Irish gates on the 20th of September, when I was punted out of the land where I pay my taxes. I will collect my thoughts for a possible consideration by the Irish Council on Civil Liberties.

This will be an interesting interlude. If my blog goes blank, listen to Technoculture about my saga. The server logs for this Web site shows a steady stream of concerned readers, visiting me in the riparian solitude of warmly received support.

1. "Auld Triangle Going Jingle Jangle" by Karlin Lillington, 23 Sep 02.

2. "Ireland's Racist No Attitude," Topgold Blog, 25 Sep 02.

3. "Get a Work Permit or Go to Jail" by Bernie Goldbach, Irish Examiner, 27 Sep 02.

4. "Source of Most Referrals," Topgold Blog, 2 Oct 02.

"Closing the Door" by Nick Mulcahy, Business Plus, November 2002.

5. "INS in the USA Detains Hundreds" by Maura McHugh in Babblogue, 19 December 2002.

6. Joi Ito ruminates on how some of the current policies to round up and discharge aliens is a throwback to the attitude that surrounded Japanese-Americans in the 1940s. A wide swath of opinion has percolated from the Joi Ito blog and is getting linked and watched in the blogosphere.

Refused Leave to Land in Ireland

A FUNNY THING happened to me while passing through Immigration at the Dublin Airport. I was refused "leave to land" which means I don't get to return to my Kilkenny home just yet. Instead, I will comply with an order issued by Detective Garda Michael Walsh, a member of the Garda Immigration Bureau put into place to stem the rise of immigrants to Ireland.

Getting refused leave to land has happened to other Americans before. The Brits refused Captain Beefheart's Magic Band leave to landyears ago. At least 10 other hopeful passengers were rebuffed at Irish gates on the 20th of September, when I was punted out of the land where I pay my taxes. I will collect my thoughts for a possible consideration by the Irish Council on Civil Liberties.

This will be an interesting interlude. If my blog goes blank, listen to Technoculture about my saga. The server logs for this Web site shows a steady stream of concerned readers, visiting me in the riparian solitude of warmly received support.

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"Auld Triangle Going Jingle Jangle" by Karlin Lillington, 23 Sep 02.
"Ireland's Racist No Attitude," Topgold Blog, 25 Sep 02.
"Get a Work Permit or Go to Jail" by Bernie Goldbach, Irish Examiner, 27 Sep 02.
"Source of Most Referrals," Topgold Blog, 2 Oct 02.
"Closing the Door" by Nick Mulcahy, Business Plus, November 2002.
"INS in the USA Detains Hundreds" by Maura McHugh in Babblogue, 19 December 2002.
Joi Ito ruminates on how some of the current policies to round up and discharge aliens is a throwback to the attitude that surrounded Japanese-Americans in the 1940s. A wide swath of opinion has percolated from the Joi Ito blog and is getting linked and watched in the blogosphere.

 

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Capo Taormina

CAPO TAORMINA gave us a uniquely chromatic display of flowers, palaces, coves, and bays. Driving from Messina, we reached Taormina after climbing Capo St Andrea, which juts out into the sea between the inlets of Mazzaro on the left and Isola Bella on the right. Capo Taormina falls 50m to the sea with its steep hills full of villas reaching up 204 metres. We want to return here some day and in an open-top car for all the effect.

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Our (scanned) photos from Sicily.

 

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