"P-word" Wagon

I've never had any strong ties to any particular nationality, other than American, of course. When I was in high school, my grandmother and some of her cronies traced our geneology back to some poor guy who came over from England in the 1600s. So, we've been American 400 years, give or take, and it's all I've ever known how to be.

So, I'm marrying an Irishman. Or, anyway, an American guy with Irish ancestory. So far I've really tried to embrace my soon-to-be heritage.

Last night, while watching some TV show about firemen, I heard a man of Irish descent referred to as a "Mick." This led me on an internet search of other Irish racial slurs, just for kicks. What I found was kind of disturbing.

"Paddy" is a derogatory term the English use for the Irish. From what I read, it has serious, SERIOUS negative connotations. Paddy wagon, as in a police van, is said to originate from the vans' most common use, picking up a load of unruly, drunken, Irishmen.

To be fair, the origins are disputed. Some say it's called a paddy wagon because so many Irish men were police officers (yeah right). But most sources believe it came into being after the Draft Riots of 1863. Rich people were allowed to buy their way out of the draft, and this really pissed off the poor, mostly Irish, population. They rioted and were picked up in "paddy wagons."

I was a little outraged at first, especially since I use the term "paddy wagon" whenever applicable. And I'm really upset that I've been ignorantly hurling racial epiteths.

So you can consider this blog my first act as self-appointed president of the Hattiesburg chapter of the Irish Anti-defamation League.