September 2011 - Irish American News

4 Irish American News “We’ve Always Been Green!” September 2011(ISSN #1085-4053) USPS #013454September 2011 Vol. XXxV 09PERIODICALCover photo by Cathy CurryFounderBob BurnsPublisherCliff CarlsonEditorial Assistant/Art DirectorJoyce EdwardsAdvertising SalesNancy MoorePhotographerCathy Curry - Senior PhotographerPatricia Brach -Staff PhotographerStacy McReynolds - Staff PhotographerEditorial InternKatey MitchellColumns and ReviewsBooks & Theatre - Frank WestTheatre - Terrence BoyleSenior Trad Music Editor -Bill MargesonHealy Law - Martin HealyMick - Mike MorleySafe Home - Heather BegleyChicago Gaelic News - Pat HennessyA Word With Monsignor Boland -Msgr. Michael BolandIrish Musings - Fr. Michael LeonardHooliganism - Mike HoulihanIrish Diaspora - Charles BradyFor The Republic - Chris FogartyFrom the Motherland - Sean FarrellSwimming Upstream - Charles BradyCareers - James Fitzgerald, CPARaised on Songs & Stories - Shay ClarkeReel Jiggy - Deirdre KozickiBoyle The Kettle - Tom BoyleHoroscopes - Theresa CastroIrish Connection - Colleen KellyIrish Rover - Jim McClurePiping it In - Jack BakerReal Ireland - Rachel GaffneySpoirts - Mary Margaret O’LearyDaly Investor - John Daly CFPCeltic Traveller - Maureen CallahanCrowley on Kells - Frank CrowleyMeehall Recalls - Michael CarrollWebsite - Cathy CurryIrish News, Inc. is publishedmonthly on the 1st of monthSubscriptionFirst class deliveryFastest! Delivered in envelope1 year $ 35 2 year $ 65 3 year $ 90Regular delivery1 year $ 30 2 year $ 55 3 year $ 75Canada 1year $ 35 2 year $ 60International: 1 year $ 85(Periodicals Postage Paid atPalatine, IL.) Postmaster:Send address changes toIrish News, Inc.7115 W North Ave #327Oak Park, IL 60302708-445-0700e-mail to:editor@irishamericannews.comPUBLISHERS STATEMENTThe opinions and statementsexpressed in this newspaper areentirely those of the authors, and donot reflect in any way the opinionsof Irish American News.Distribution20,013Let me begin by admitting my deepanimosity towards the New York Timesand all East Coast culturally elite phonies.I’m a born and bred South SideIrish Catholic and my BS detector goesoff whenever I come into contact withany of these fakers who have been lookingdown their noses at Irish Americansfor over a hundred years. As far as I’mconcerned the New York Times is a commierag and should wear the jacket forpropagating moral relativism and thetrend of whiny victimization for allAmericans.Another publication that has reallybeen getting under my skin lately is theInternet portal “Irish Central,” whichdispenses stories on Ireland and IrishAmerica while bashing the CatholicChurch and promoting the gay agenda.Irish Central recently championed apedophile candidate for President ofIreland.So I wasn’t surprised by reportsof their shoddy journalism when myfriend Kevin Kennelly called to askif I could help set the record straightconcerning the death of his only childKevin Kennelly Jr.Kevin Jr., 17, was killed in a July4th tragedy up in Long Beach, Indianawhen he tried to break up a fight. Maybeyou read about in the news. Hopefullyyou didn’t read about in the New YorkTimes or Irish Central because they gotthe story wrong while throwing thefalse spectre of racism into the mix.Irish Central ripped their story onthe incident out of the New York Timesand slapped another byline on it. Theydo that a lot. The New York Times accountmisrepresented the incidentas some kind of class war whilealso getting the timeline of eventswrong. Both reports had an insidiousinsinuation that these supposedlyrich Irish kids had tangled with afew poor Korean immigrants. It’scalled playing the race card and itreeks of a defense dreamed up bysome hotshot attorney who hired aPR guy to start spinning.So here is the statement fromKevin Kennelly Sr. regarding theunfortunate tragedy of a great kidfrom the south side of Chicago.“After 6 weeks of grief and anguishover the violent death of our belovedson, I am starting to respond to someof the bad journalism regarding theincident and comments by peoplewho know nothing about it.My son and his four friends (onlyone of whom had any Irish ancestry)went to the beach at 11pm after havingwatched the fireworks on the golfcourse. We saw them there. They weresober. My son’s friends are chargedwith no crimes. When they recountthe events, they have no motive otherthan to seek justice for the murder oftheir friend.When they got to the beach, they sawa group of 25 to 30 teenagers, a coupleof whom they knew to be students atSt. Ignatius HS. They did not desire tojoin that group, which was reported tohave been on the beach all day drinking.They elected to remain about 30 yardsaway just to talk among themselves.They were then approached by twovery drunk girls, one of whom theyknew from grade school, who offeredthem vodka from a bottle they had andKevin Kennelly Jr.invited them to join their group. Theydeclined both. The girl they didn’t know,who they later learned was the Koreanborn Ann Malecek, persisted. My son’sMexican American friend then committedthe unpardonable offense of tellingher that she was drunk and should goaway and leave them alone. At this shewent into a rage and punched him in theface twice. He did not retaliate. (He hada black eye at my son’s funeral.) Shethen left, and my son’s friends thoughtthat this was the end of the bizarreincident.James Malecek soon approachedthem. Had they known he intendedany harm, three of them would nothave been sitting on the sand. He immediatelyand without warning shovedmy son’s Mexican American friend andthen hit my son from the side with suchforce to drive a piece of his temporomandibularjoint into his brain.The Lake County Coroner has ruledit a homicide caused by blunt forcetrauma. By all reports my son had beenstanding there with his open hands upcalling for calm, (as if to say wait aminute, what’s this about?) As Kevin’sfriends attempted to check his condition(he was immediately bleeding from hismouth and nose), Malecek celebratedwhat he had done by jumping up anddown and yelling, ‘I knocked one of youout, I’ll knock you all out.’ The group of25 to 30 then fled the scene.A good Samaritan, who had renderedwhatever first aid possible, leftthe scene when LaPorte County EMStook over. As she walked down LakeShore Drive she encountered a cardriven by Mrs. Malecek, with Ann in thefront seat and James in the back, withtwo other teens unknown to her. Mrs.Malecek asked her where she had been.She said she was on the beach with avery seriously injured boy who was beingtaken away in an ambulance. Withthat, James Malecek rolled down hiswindow and asked, ‘Was it from mehitting him?’ She responded , ‘Yes.’Did Mrs. Malecek go to the police,or to the hospital to check on Kevin’scondition? No. James Malecekturned himself in 3 days later, sincepolice cars were waiting in front ofboth their Chicago and Long Beachhomes. If there is any Irish Americanconnection to this it sadly is thatnone of the 25 to 30 teenagers withLong Beach and or St. Ignatius connectionshas willingly come forwardto say what they had seen. Many ofthem did have Irish ancestry.I originally sent this to Irish Central.comwhich on July 17th put out abunch of lies about my son, the wayhe died and his four friends from Mt.Carmel. This added to our despair,that people in the Irish Americancommunity would publish fabricationsdesigned to keep Malecek outof prison as fact. When all else failsplay the race card.Kevin played varsity baseball andsoccer at Mount Carmel. He was farmore aware than most of his Irishheritage. He wrote high school papersabout Boru’s victory over the Danesat Clontarf, and on the custom, datingfrom the penal days, of lightingone candle to let the neighbors knowwhich cottage the secret ChristmasMass was being said in. He quit takingfiddle lessons about 4 years ago, but hecould still play ‘The Boys of Bluehill,’‘Lady of Knock,’ ‘Rolling in the RyeGrass,’ etc. This was the young manthey slandered.Kevin F. Kennelly Sr.”OnlineThis MonthDue to the large quantityof columns this month andthe lack of extra space a fewcolumns will be online only.• For the Republic• Horoscopes• Our Take On SocialServicesThey will be back next monthfor your reading pleasure!