There are few calendar days in the U.S. that better represent the spirit of our country than St. Patrick's Day. While many see the day as an excuse to dawn a faux-Irish accent, drink copious amounts of Guinness, and pinch their unsuspecting friends, I see it as a celebration of the endearing work-ethic of the hands that built our country. We celebrate these Americans because they came to this land with little more than a fire in their belly and the clothes on their back.
So, in celebration of St. Patty's Day I give a rawkus embrace of all-things Irish by a man who is no stranger to the working-class. "The hands that keep this country we're always trying to keep out," Bruce Springsteen snarls in the jaunty Irish-tune. Sadly the love we once had for our immigrants has dissipated, muddied by debates about "aliens." Now more than ever we need days like St. Patrick's Day, to remind us that we should lovingly embrace our differences as Americans and not let them divide us. Idealistic? Yes. Possible? Absolutely.
"American Land"- Bruce Springsteen
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