Oh, no, please do bash the Irish. We're pretty good at fighting back, it's all the practice we get from beating up our cousins and getting into fights at bars, donchaknow. When we're not running around in the woods worshiping trees or hurling. (Sports or vomit, take your choice.)

*******end horrible stereotyping******

Gah. I hate the American Irish 'defense by victimhood' more than almost any other one. If someone in Ireland said it, I might buy at least some of it due to horrible personal experiences based on national troubles, but I've never heard anyone say it who wasn't at least second generation AI (or further). Having an Irish last name doesn't mean you get to claim racism is against you unless you're Shaquille O'Neil or Soledad O'Brien.

You live in America, Paddy Faux'Reilly. No one enslaved you here. Probably no one enslaved your ancestors any more than every other non-noble family in Europe was treated at one point or another anyway. Gah!

*Throws hands up in air, goes back to stomping on 'Celtic Woman' CD's*