In May 2003, the National Post published an article that in the opinion of the Toronto Irish News was insulting to the Irish and trivialized in a satirical manner, a very serious problem in regards to youth drinking in Ireland. Below we publish the piece from The National Post, the letter that was sent to the Post and the letter of apology we eventually received after many frustrating phone calls, emails and total disregard for our concerns.

 

It is this Editor's belief that we would never have received any proper acknowledgement had we not finally resorted to copying the Chairman of Canwest Global, Israel Asper (R.I.P.), the owners of the National Post. We received the apology the following day.

We believe this is just one more example of how we as a people need to stand guard against the negative stereotypes that are still painted of us by some of the media.

Editor's Note: Special thanks to one of our readers, Brian Breathnach who suggested that any future insults to our community should be reported to the Canadian Human Rights Commission in Ottawa - 1 888 643-3304. Brian found that this approach worked for him when he encountered a website that he felt was offensive to Irish people.

National Post Article of May 31st, 2003

Celtic Tiger tries to get less tanked - CRISIS IN IRELAND

By Scott Feschuk

As more young people take up drinking in Ireland, the Irish government has announced it will take drastic steps to fight drunkenness. Post Mortem has obtained a copy of its new seven - point plan:

1. The legal drinking age will be raised effective immediately, to nine (9). Alcohol producers will no longer be able to put ads in such previously acceptable locations as billboards, hymn books or boxes of crayons.
2. Bringing bottles of alcohol on school trips will be strictly prohibited. Teachers who need a drink during the outing should bring their liquor in a wineskin or thermos.
3. Pubs near schools will no longer be allowed to open until two (2) hours after the end of the school day. Pubs in schools will now only operate during the lunch hour.
4. Employers will be required to suspend any employees who have been drinking, unless of course there are no other pilots around to fly the plane.
5. All bottles of alcohol shall be affixed with warning labels that caution: "If you drink and drive,remember go slowly and try not to hit anybody.
6. Liquor stores will no longer be permitted to sell products targeted at young people, including such popular items as "baby's First Whiskey". Pharmacies will no longer be permitted to sell any brand of rubbing alcohol that is packaged with such exceptional items as straws or shot glasses.
7. As it pertains to Communions, all churches shall be required to enforce a two - glass maximum.

Letter to Matthew Fraser, Editor in Chief, National Post

June 9, 2003

Dear Mr. Fraser,

Shame on you and your newspaper for allowing such a piece of anti Irish racist trash to be published. As a community we are sick and tired of being the butt of stereotypical jokes that portray our race in such a negative way.

Ireland is indeed going through a real crisis regarding alcohol abuse in the younger population. The government has recognized the problem and is taking major steps to deal with it. Trust me, it is no joke when you count the cost to human life and the whole fabric of a nation.

How dare your writer Scott Feschuk make light of such a serious problem. The Irish love a laugh and a joke more than most. This column is not funny. It insults each and everyone of us, and it also insults our churches and the religion of a great majority of the Irish people.

By copy of this to Mr. Asper, who has business interests in Ireland, I would ask him to investigate how such hateful, insulting trash about any nation or culture could be printed in one of his publications.

As a community we have endured enough of this sort of journalism (if I could call it that), and we are not willing to take it anymore. The Scott Feschuk's of  the world seem much more suited to covering the soapbox journalism on Barbara Walters specials as he did in today's edition.

Luckily, for you, we are not the type of community that generally marches to your doors and demand an immediate response.

I will leave it to your own sense of right and fair play as to how your publication handles this matter both for now and in the future.

Eamonn O'Loghlin

Letter From Douglas Kelly, Executive Director, National Post

June 27th, 2003

Dear Mr. O'Loghlin,

We received your letter of June 9 about a Post Mortem item of May 31, which alluded to the Irish government's recent campaign against alcohol abuse, particularly among young people.

The intention of this item, which appeared in a weekly satirical feature, was to make fun of government advertising of the same kind that is frequently seen in Canada concerning a variety of public interest issues.

We acknowledge, however, that this item may have contributed to longstanding stereotypes, and may well have offended Irish and Irish - Canadians, showing little compassion for what you describe as a serious problem. Therefore, on behalf of the National Post, I apologize for any insensitivity.

We assure you that no insult was intended.

Yours Truly,

Douglas Kelly

Executive Director

National Post