Sunday Independent And George Harrison

by Joe Momma Sun Feb 02, 2003 23:31

Having never had to read the Sunday Independent, let alone a proper newspaper, naturally these New Yorkers were in an excellent position to decide the rights and wrongs of the "armed struggle". I'm sure the prosecution spent a few days giving them a comprehensive survey of 800 years of Irish history to add to what they had already learned from the extensive 'World News' coverage in their local press.

by P. O'Neill Mon Feb 03, 2003 00:50

Good point, Myrna. And how predictable that one of our West Brits had
to chime in with the usual bollocks. Don't pay him any heed; some of us
remember our debt to our American friends.

by Blisset Mon Feb 03, 2003 04:23

Pat C - please provide some backup here - you know this argument -

by Joe Momma Mon Feb 03, 2003 15:04

It always amuses me to be called a 'West Brit' - it exposes how out of touch some republicans are with ordinary Irish people. I've also been termed an 'East Yank' or equivalent (I have a US passport by accident of birth), which is amusing in light of the above.

It seems that republicans can only explain the lack of support among the majority of Irish people for their "armed struggle" in one of two ways:
1) We were all brainwashed by the Sunday Independent
2) We're all 'West Britons'

The uncomfortable truth, however, is that we're just ordinary Irish folk who never considered the Provisional IRA's campaign to be justified.

by IMC Ireland Mon Feb 03, 2003 18:40

Brendan O'Connor and Independent stand by libellous article.
by Myrna Gonzalez Mon, Feb 3 2003, 1:34am
In todays(Feb 3)edition the Independent fails to retract the statement that George Harrison, longtime New York City activist, is a convicted criminal and jailbird. In a libellous diatribe in the Feb 2 Sunday Independent O'Connor also attacked Indymedia. The failure to correct this deliberate falsehood shows that neither O'Connor nor the Independent have any integrity or journalistic competence. That this rag and this hack have to resort to falsehood to make their case show the fear of the ruling elite in Ireland. The connection has been made between the struggle for Irelands freedom and the emerging worldwide movement against the Bush-Blair Anglo-American Imperium. So let Sir Anthony William Martin Murphy O'Reilly and his paid hacks tremble..We hav'nt gone away, you know.

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Diatribe?
by Irish Citizen Mon, Feb 3 2003, 1:47pm

As far as I know, you can't call an article liellous unless it has been held to be so by a court of law. I read O'Connor's article yesterday and found it not offending, but yet another form of debate about the attack on Iraq that should be encouraged, not dismissed because he doesn't reflect your views.

We live in a free country, and it is one which allows everyone to have their opinion. The very existence of Indymedia is testament to this fact. If you are allowed to speak freely why should you deny others the right to do so (with empty threats: "So let ... his paid hacks tremble..We hav'nt gone away, you know"). I for one value the fact that I can read Brendan O'Connor and then come here to read another side to the story. This is much more freedom than the Iraqi public is accustomed to (and no, I'm not in favour of a war in Iraq... who is? but the human rights violations in Iraq have been well documented throughout the years by the UN, and are undeniable).

Can the author respond to the charge that s/he is all in favour of free speech, as long as it's her own.

Brendan O Connor has free access to indymedia's newswire
by Badman Mon, Feb 3 2003, 4:55pm

Indymedia journalists don't, on the other hand, have access to the columns of a major national newspaper in a forum that allows no peer review nor prints critical comment about the article.

So somehow people posting critical comments about the article to indymedia is somehow opposing his freedom of speech?

Take your brain out of that ideological knot you've got it into!

Sunday Independent and Brendan O'Connor to be sued for libel?
by Terence Sweeney Sun, Feb 2 2003, 6:08pm
It was learned late this afternoon that well-known political activist, George Harrison of New York City, is contemplating a libel action against the Sunday Independent and journalist Brendan O'Connor. A frontpage article in the Sunday Independent states that Harrison is a convicted criminal and served time in jail. All this was manufactured by the newspaper to deliberately defame him. Harrison is well respected in New York city and is a close friend to the former Mayor, David Dinkins, and played a key role in electing Dinkins as the first African American mayor of New York

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COMMENTS
Go George we're all behind you!
by John Lennon - Beatles Sun, Feb 2 2003, 7:55pm

Delighted to hear that. What an abnoxious plick Brendan O'Connor is.

Is that Brendan I hear singing a hard day's night?
by No Name Mon, Feb 3 2003, 3:20am

Libel on Mary too?
by corkboy Mon, Feb 3 2003, 9:09am

Seems to me that Mary would have a case too because he described the damage to the planes as 'criminal' and 'vandalism'. Neither of these statements are legally substantiated. They may even be prejudicial to her trial? We should have a collection and sue him.