An Open Letter to my Grandfather

international | anti-war / imperialism | opinion/analysis

Thursday October 14, 2004 03:48

by James F. Harrington - Socialist Workers Party

How Erin's Son's Have Been Used By the Capitalists

Open letter to my grandfather, Austin A. O’Malley, who I never really got to know, as he died when I was only four years old. He came over to the United States from his native country, Ireland around 1889, as a little boy of eleven years.

Like many other Irishmen from Louisburg, County Mayo, he settled in Clinton, Massachusetts.
I know that he worked there for a baker for awhile untill the Spanish American War broke out.

I also know that he was in and out of the Veteran’s Hospital all through his life. I also know that he liked to drink at bars in South Boston, sometimes with his dog beside him.

Teddy Roosevelt with His Rough Riders in Cuba

Grandpa,

You came to this country as a little boy, looking for a better way of life for yourself and future family, of which I shall always be grateful.

When war against Spain broke out, I can just see you in my mind, standing around a bar in Clinton, Massachusetts, slugging down some cold ones after a hard days work.

Someone yells out...Did you hear the latest news? Those bastard Spaniards just blew up the battleship Maine outside Havana harbor!

Let’s go kick some Spanish ass!!!

Remember the Maine!!!

You and many other Irish lads signed right up joined Company K, 9th Massachusetts Infantry to defend your adopted country and to prove your patriotism.

You all did this to defend America against the so-called “Terrorists”, who threatened our freedoms and security.

Grandpa...I pray that you didn’t kill or maim anyone while you were down in Cuba.

I know that you and your buddies sincerely believed that you were doing the right thing in joining up to fight the Spanish, but I must inform you that the Spanish were not the Terrorists, but rather you all were used by evil and sinister men in Washington, who knew all along that the explosion that blew up the battleship Maine, was due to an internal explosion that occurred deep down in the magazine department and was not the work of the Spanish!

Right after this country expelled the Spanish from Cuba, Capitalist entrepreneurs from the United States went to Cuba and took over all the sugar fields, just as they had planned from the start!

They did the same in the Philippines and Puerto-Rico, not to mention the sovereign nation of Hawaii, where the good ol’ U.S.A. dethroned their Queen in order to take over all the sugar and pineapple fields!

Grandpa, the real terrorists were not the Spanish, but the sinister Capitalists in Washington, who couldn’t have cared less how many young Americans, Spanish and Cuban lives were lost.

Their only concern as it is to this very day, is the amassing of capital, not the freedom of the world’s people as they would like us to believe.

The people in Cuba had complete freedom long before this country attacked them. The thieves in Washington lied to the American people about Spanish atrocities against the Cuban people, which later were proven to never have taken place.

Grandpa...the American’s attacked Cuba and these other countries and enslaved their people with its dirty web of Capitalism!

The same tactics are still being used by the butchers in Washington against the nations of the world. “The United States will liberate you from your oppressors!” Ha!!!

In 1991, pa-pa Bush used a fifteen year old girl to appear before a joint session of Congress and swear that the Iraqi’s were going into hospitals in Kuwait and removing the plugs from babies incubators. This was enough to get this country to attack Sadamn’s forces.

Later, after thousands had died, with several oil wells aflame ( by U.S.) the truth finally came out that everything that this girl had said before the joint section of Congress was all a pack of lies. She turned out to be an daughter of a Saudi diplomat who had very close ties with the Bush family.

During the Viet-nam war, our leaders lied to us with their story about the destroyer Maddox being attacked by several North Viet-namese patrol boats. This was a complete fabrication, which Washington used to greatly escalate our countrys involvement in Viet-nam.

Right now, Grandpa, the dirty, blood thirsty Capitalists are rushing into Iraq and through their little puppets, are stealing that nations oil reserves until they become dry and non-existent.

Your grandson,

Jimmy
See also:
http://www.wsws.org
http://www.internationalANSWER.org