Always Liked South Side Irish Parade
By RAY HANANIA
Southwest News-Herald Newspaper Friday, February 15, 2013
What would Chicago be without a real Irish Parade. Oh, they can do the one downtown, but that one doesn’t even come close to the parade that originated in 1979 on the South Side. But 30 years later, the 2009 parade was marred by more than 54 arrests.
It was cancelled for two years and restarted last year.
The parade had changed so much from when it started as a family focused neighborhood celebration of cultural heritage. The parade was an alley covered with emptied bottles and cans of booze. And when I brought my young son, we had to navigate through a drunken crowd of kids who couldn’t even be creative about swear words.
I always loved the South Side Irish Parade and I love Irish culture. I went to it almost every year. Of all my travels abroad, my favorite was Dublin, an Irish version of Dubai.
This year, the parade resumes on March 10 down Western Avenue, and I can’t wait to enjoy it.
The South Side parade is so much more fun than the one downtown.
There’s a fundraiser tonight (Friday Feb. 15) at Bourbon Street. Tickets are $30 each. Help them out.
Not every ethnic group is as organized as Chicagoland’s Irish. The Irish are adept at politics, which is more than just the art of getting elected to public office and managing government. Politics is a social talent involving people interaction and relationships. The elected folks gave it a bad name. But the Irish, more than any other ethnic community, I think, understand the essence of politics being in how you deal with people.
Maybe that’s why so many other ethnic groups are so bad at politics. They think it’s about empowerment when it really is about knowing how to make friends and dedicating yourself to serving the needs of the people in your community.
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THE POLITICAL GRAPEVINE
Ah the first round of elections are just around the corner, Feb. 26. Most communities will vote on April 9 but some of my clients, including Cicero, vote on Feb. 26. Cicero is always at the top of the news cycle because it is so recognizable. It’s also controversial because of its past but it a changing place with many positive strides. That’s one reason I am back there. So many biased reporters out there, though. No wonder journalism is a dying profession.
How can a Pope who is chosen by the will of God resign from office? People are asking that in the wake of the announcements by Pope Benedict XVI who announced he is quitting the job. He turned in his two week notice, making many people wonder if the whole system is so unGodly after all. I understand the issue of Pope Benedict’s failing health. But I also understand the troubles of the Catholic Church involving pedophilia and abuse of boys by priests.
I took my son to Monster Jam at the AllState Arena. It was a great show. Always is. Best of all this year they had all the drivers in one room autographing program books. But I hate using Ticketmaster. This year they ripped me off, $30. I bought two “Tags,” souvenirs for my son and the Ticketmaster System didn’t worked right. Never got them. That’s the problem with ordering online.
(Ray Hanania is an award winning columnist. Reach him at http://www.TheMediaOasis.com.) — City & Suburban News-Herald
Related articles
- South Side Irish Parade crackdown may lead to arrests at Pride Parade (suntimes.com)
- Parade Crackdown (secondcitycop.blogspot.com)
- Drunks could face crackdown at South Side Irish Parade (suntimes.com)
- Proposal To Crack Down On South Side Irish Parade Drunkards Passes City Council Committee (chicagoist.com)
Categories: Chicagoland Topics
Tags: AllState Arena, Catholic Church, Irish, Monster Jam, Parade, Ray Hanania, South Side Irish, Ticketmaster
