A Leary Voice

Back in my home town there was an Irish Catholic family known as the Leary family. They lived on the poor side of town in a small three bedroom, one bathroom house, and I do mean small. There were six children, four boys and two girls all with curly blond hair. They had a distinct look about them; a very typical Irish Catholic look, but they all resembled one another so much it looked as though they were clones.

Most of the Leary boys were in their late teens and early 20s in 1979. Yes, still living at home in their 20s.

By the way, do you why they are sure that Jesus was Irish? He was 33 years old, still lived with his mother, didn’t have a job and thought he was God.

I drove past the Leary's house several times a day back when the Iran Hostage Crisis was in full bloom. Every evening the Leary boys would paint a sign that simply stated “Iran Sucks” and they’d hang it on a utility pole across from their house. Every day the utility company would come and remove the sign. Each night they would paint a new sign and hang it, and the next day it would be taken down again. This went on for the entire 444 days of the hostage crisis.

The hostages were released on January 20, 1981. I drove by the next day and there was no sign to be seen. However on the following day I drove by and saw a simple sign on the utility pole that read, “Iran Still Sucks.”