GROUND ZER0, New York, N.Y.--Mar. 17, 2004 -- There are a lot of myths about St. Patrick, including the one where he chased all the snakes from England.  But one of the reality factors about St. Patrick's Day is that it teaches us all how to laugh into the face of the Beast of Terror.

    Anyone who knows someone of Irish descent will eventually hear them talk about the "devil" inside them.   True Irish admit to having "a little bit of the devil" within, and laugh about it.
         Irish humor includes facing one's "Beast" and treating it more like a leprechaun than a monster from the depths of Hades.

         In a way, St. Patrick reminds us that we can laugh into the face of the Beast of Terror, for he is nothing more than "little tyrant" trying to become a giant.  
         He uses Fear, Intimidation and Complacency to drive any humor out of us, and make us cower in a corner.   The Irish, however, prefer to sic St. Patrick upon the Beast and shoo him away with scolding words and jokes so bad the Beast slams his hands over his ears to escape.
         Back about 1600 years ago, St. Patrick was a Catholic priest traveling around Ireland converting pagans to Christianity.   Celtic Druids didn't like what he was doing and put him prison a number of times but Patrick escaped and continued to convert the pagans.
         Some call him the Sentinel of Christian Vigilance.  
         But the Irish didn't abandon their pagan roots.

       Culturally, they have kept the "devil" on their shoulder, right where "it can be seen."
         As a Sentinel of Vigilance, I like the idea of keeping the "devil" in sight.   Alcoholics, wary of falling complacent to their sobriety, promote keeping "the drink a arm's length away" so they never forget what it can do once it is consumed.
          So, in a sense, do the Irish keep the proximity of the "devil" within "laughing" distance so it can't grow larger than a nuisance. 

        "If you don't keep an eye on the devil within, he can grow like cancer and take over your whole being," said an Irish friend of mine, taking a swig of Guinness and winking at me.

         I like the idea of laughing at the Beast of Terror.   If we can get our children to laugh away Fear, Intimidation and Complacency while ushering in Courage, Conviction and Right Actions for future generations, we have accomplished a great deal.
          In a way, we have banished the "snakes" from Ireland.   Many think the myth of St. Patrick's driving away the snakes was symbolic of his efforts to drive out paganism.   In some ways, Terrorism is about paganism.  It's goal is not to grow and make prosperous the future of the Children's Children's Children, but rather to sacrifice them in the name of the present selfish agenda.
          Terrorism is a taking process.  Vigilance is about giving and protecting those innocent ones who cannot protect themselves.

           St. Patrick reminds us that we can stand tall against Terrorism.   We can drive the Snakes of Terrorism from our lands.
        

We can laugh the Beast of Terror out of his hold on us.
           The next time you laugh, imagine the Beast of Terror getting upset.  And, the more you laugh, the more you drive the Beast away.
            Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Mar 16--15,000 NYC Third Graders Under Terror Attack

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