Neo-Nazis, Hibernians and the City Council
Before the St. Patrick's Day Parade, Ancient Order of Hibernian parade organizer John Dunleavy was quoted by the Irish Times as saying,

If an Israeli group wants to march in New York, do you allow neo-Nazis into their parade? If African-Americans are marching in Harlem, do they have to let the Ku Klux Klan into their parade?

The statements stem from the seemingly endless dispute on allowing gay Irish organizations to march in the Parade--an issue that came to the fore with the election of Christine Quinn as Speaker of the City Council. Quinn is a class act. She didn't even mention this stuff in the remarks she gave at Gracie Mansion and proved herself to be a big cut above Dunleavy.

First, a bit of a recap. Gays can march in the parade, but not as organized groups. Second, the Hibernians have every right to exclude gay groups if they so chose. This is a fundamental right of free speech and association guaranteed by the constitution and upheld several years ago by the federal courts. Ms. Quinn--an openly gay member of the City Council for years and now speaker--was invited to march but declined. She has in years past been involved in protests over this issue.

The Hibernians--steeped in Irish Catholic tradition--claim that this is fundamentally related to their speech rights. This being said, just because someone has the right to do something, does not mean that it is right to do. It is time to end the ban once and for all. Frequent readers know Base10 as a conservative, but he is prompted to say this not because of political views but rather because of his Catholic faith. Catholics believe it is right to condemn the sin but love the sinner. It is the tradition of Catholic tolerance in the twentieth century that prompts this view.
- posted by Base10 @ 3:35 PM