St. Patrick's Day

This is one Holiday that kind of annoys me. I fully understand that people of Irish descent are proud of their heritage, and to be honest, the Irish people have done much to make America great.
So far, all is good. But here is where they get me pissed.
The overwhelming majority of those quaffing green beer and eating corned beef and cabbage know almost nothing about St. Patrick.

In fact, the majority can't tell you when he lived within 500 years. (around 450 A.D.) and almost no one knows where he was born (either great Britain or Scotland.) I don't really care that most celebrants aren't exactly scholars, but could they art least have some knowledge of the man they toast with such vigor. About the only "fact" most of them "know" is that he chased the snakes out of Ireland. This is a legend and not true. But who can stop anyone making a toast while consuming vast quantities of Guiness? I heard that as many as 150,000 glasses per second will be consumed today, in honor of St. Patrick. Corned beef and cabbage is about as Irish as pizza and pasta. But, I digress.

On to my rant.

Patrick was born to Roman parents (would that make him Italian?) and he had a very colorful life. He was a prisoner, and after he escaped, he then went back with a mission; to convert his previous captors and to minister to the Christians already living in Ireland.

Patrick was a man to be honored. He helped to change an entire nation.

But please, honor his memory with a little decorum, and some knowledge.

St. Patrick deserves better than to have a bunch of knuckleheads spewing green beer in a gutter following a night of drinking and debauchery.