Tuesday, March 18, 2008

The Earth Stopped Spinning

Did you feel that? That rumbling. Not twenty-four hours ago. The earth must have stopped spinning on its axis and the mountains crashed into the sea and the continents shifted....

Ah, no, it was only the St. Patrick's Day parade in Belfast.

For the first time that anyone can recall, a big parade wound through Belfast. Ulster Unionist, and Lord Mayor of Belfast, Jim Rodgers led the parade. Stood at the head, walked from City Hall to Custom House Square, and he never once was struck down by a bolt from the heavens.

Green painted faces, green apparel, shamrocks and all the rest were in abundance on the streets of Belfast. Loyalist groups marched in the parade, and revelers enjoyed some trad and some samba. Ireland's multicultural now, and there was a touch of Carnival tossed in to the mix.

Tourists from foreign countries came to watch the parade and enjoy the festivities. No one worrying about bombs and bullets and goings-on. There's peace in the north.

Peace that Mrs. Clinton had a hand in creating, contrary to Mr. Obama's opinion. So said Bertie Ahern earlier, after he'd handed over the bowl of shamrock to himself in the White House. The Democratic Party could use a bit of that peace over here, if there's any left to go around.

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