More Work to be Done on the Boston College/PSNI Subpoenas

Today The Pensive Quill features guest writer Helen McClafferty urging support for the campaign against British police supoeanas aimed at seizing the Boston College oral history archive.


May 5, 1995 –‘ Boston College to award Margaret Thatcher the prestigious Ignatius Medal on the anniversary of Bobby Sand’s death’.

Irish America was responsible for preventing such an obscenity and we can do it again, this time by making sure the British do not win their case with regard to The Belfast Project, Boston College and a Sealed Subpoena demanding the oral Irish history tapes be handed over to the PSNI.

Britain has always been in the business of dismantling Irish America and the last thing its establishment wants to see is a strong and united Irish lobby rise again, this time galvanized around such a controversial issue as the Boston College subpoenas.   We need to send a clear message to all our U. S. politicians at every level that Irish America still has clout.

The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections will be held on November 6, 2012. Elections will be held for all 435 seats, representing the 50 U.S. states.

It may also help to focus on the following candidates who will be running for the Senate in 2012:

Republicans
Arizona's 6th congressional district: Jeff Flake: To run for the U.S. Senate.
Florida's 14th congressional district: Connie Mack IV: To run for the U.S. Senate.
Indiana's 6th congressional district: Mike Pence: To run for Governor of Indiana.
Missouri's 2nd congressional district: Todd Akin: To run for the U.S. Senate.
Montana's At-large congressional district: Denny Rehberg: To run for the U.S. Senate.
New York's 9th congressional district: Bob Turner: To run for the U.S. Senate.
North Dakota's At-large congressional district: Rick Berg: To run for the U.S. Senate.
Texas's 14th congressional district: Ron Paul: To run for U.S. President.

Democrats
California's 51st congressional district: Bob Filner: To run for Mayor of San Diego.
Connecticut's 5th congressional district: Chris Murphy: To run for the U.S. Senate.
Hawaii's 2nd congressional district: Mazie Hirono: To run for the U.S. Senate.
Indiana's 2nd congressional district: Joe Donnelly: To run for the U.S. Senate.
Nevada's 1st congressional district: Shelley Berkley: To run for the U.S. Senate.
New Mexico's 1st congressional district: Martin Heinrich: To run for the U.S. Senate.
Washington's 1st congressional district: Jay Inslee: To run for Governor of Washington.
Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district: Tammy Baldwin: To run for the U.S. Senate.

We ask you to please contact your elected representatives to write to Hillary Clinton and Eric Holder in protest of these subpoenas and send them a copy of Senator John Kerry’s letter below asking them if the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee can write such a letter, why can’t you?

 
January 23, 2012
 
The Honorable Hillary Clinton
 Secretary of State
 Department of State
 Washington, DC 20521
 
Dear Madam Secretary:
 
I write today with concern about the ongoing court efforts on behalf of the United Kingdom to obtain documents and recordings from Boston College’s Oral History Archive on the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
 
I know you’ll understand that this matter is of interest to me for a number of reasons. First, it has a profound impact on Boston College, a highly respected university in Massachusetts, as well as implications for the confidentiality of other research projects of this nature. More broadly, as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I am obviously concerned about the impact that it may have on the continued success of the Northern Ireland peace process.
 
It is possible that some former parties to the conflict may perceive the effort by the U.K. authorities to obtain this information as contravening the spirit of the Good Friday Accords. I am proud of the role our government – and the Clinton Administration specifically – played to bring about that fragile peace. I am equally impressed by the courage and tenacity of the people of Belfast to rebuild their lives and their city. It would be a tragedy if this process were to upset the delicate balance that has kept the peace and allowed for so much progress in the past fourteen years.
 
Given my deep concern, I spoke to Attorney General Holder about this matter late last year. I fully recognize that the United Kingdom has invoked the provisions of our Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty and that this is clearly a factor which affects our flexibility dealing with such a request. Nonetheless, given the close relationship we have with the United Kingdom and the deep and enduring interest all of us share in seeing a lasting peace in Northern Ireland, I would urge you to work with the British authorities to reconsider the path they have chosen and revoke their request.
 
I would like to thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.
 
Sincerely,
 
John F. Kerry
 
Cc: The Honorable Eric Holder, Attorney General


2 comments:

  1. Good job Helen. There is energy there that can be a force for good.

    On this matter did you read the comment from Christopher Conley, jr. on "Chris Bray: Cause and Effect"?

    ReplyDelete