Today's facts in history:
Dice-k was born today in 1980. 2pac died today in 1996. Margaret Chase Smith was elected as first woman Senator in 1948 (she was a Mainac yesssssah....wicked).
Good evening....I just finished watching the movie "Hunger" by Steve McQueen (no, not Bullitt or the Cincinnati Kid or Papillion-but if it was one person to come back from the dead, Steve McQueen could do it), a first time British first time film maker. It came out in '08 and won a bunch of awards and is probably available at your local friendly movie rental place. Anyway, it is about Bobby Sands (who is one of the pictures displayed on this blog-a true honor in the eyes of all humanity) who many people have no idea who he is or what he did. Luckily, I am here to inform you such men in history...Quick story: I took a History of Northern Ireland class my freshman year of college that was taught by Irishmen-their obvious subjectivity to the subject was happily biased making the Irish heroes and making you feel pure hate for the British everytime you walked out of class....Bobby Sands will make you a bit angry at the British.
Bobby Sands was born on March 9, 1954 in County Antrim in North Ireland. Growing up Catholic in a Protestant-British controlled life lead to him to enlist in the PIRA in 1972 and became an active member quickly. After a conviction for illegal weapons and four year prison sentence, he was involved in a bombing and subsequent shootout with the Ulster police, where two PIRA members were wounded. Police later discovered a revolver in Bobby's car that was connected with the incident and he was arrested and convicted in 1977. He was sentenced to 14 years at HM Maze Prison, AKA Long Kesh, a British-run prison in Northern Ireland where the majority of prisoners were Catholic IRA or related groups from Northern Ireland. He published a Republican newspaper and was elected official commander of IRA prisoners in Long Kesh. While in prison, all IRA member sought political status (special rights as they were not common criminals i.e. no prison uniforms or work free assoication of political prisoners etc) refusing to abide by prison rules by doing protest acts (watch"Hunger" to see some of their protests) leading to a hunger strike that began on March 1 1981. On March 5, Frank McGuire, the British MP for Fernamagh and South Tyrone, North Ireland died suddenly, leaving an opening a seat open at British Parliament. The Catholic majority of the County got almost universally behind Bobby for a run as MP as Anti H-Block / Armagh Political Prisoner. He narrowly won in the election on April 9, becoming the youngest member of Parliament at that time. Bobby died on May 5 after a 66 days of starvation at the age of 27. Margaret Thatcher was condemned as allowing a member of Parliament die in a prison and celebrations of Bobby's life and protests broke out all over the world. Millions upon millions celebrated this man as a true freedom fighter who died for his beliefs like many before him and since then and unfortunately in the future.
Beidh ar am le teacht-beidh Eire aonaithe.
Top Ten Irish History Movies (no particular order):
10. In the Name of the Father-always makes me misty :(
9. Michael Collins-bummer ending.
8. The Devil's Own-great movie but Brad Pitt can't do an Irish accent he needs to between this movie and Mickey in "Snatch"
7. Patriot Games-A bit anti-IRA, only novel I've read by Tom Clancy that isn't all infotechCIA jargon
6. Someone Else's Son-another look at Bobby Sands.
5. Hunger-again-be warned, if you like male front nudity, horrible beatings, excrement and total humiliation and death, drop that Marquis de Sade iBook and rent this movie!
4. The Quiet Man-gotta have "The Duke" Wayne on the list
3. Far and Away-technically, it takes place in America but has Irish people in it...I just put it on here because I like to watch the crap get kicked out of Tom Cruise.
2. Blown Away-Again, technically in America but Tommy Lee (no, not the porno star or sometime drummer) makes for a creepy evil Irishman.
1. Gangs of New York-a Diego Guinea Wop making a movie about the Irish Experience in America...he's lucky it is a good movie or I'd kick his ass.
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