Letter to the Editor

Published: April 13, 2006

To the Editor:

“I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.”

Are we to be “kind to the least among us” at all times, or is it something to be done occasionally?

We should be proud of our Catholic hierarchy for providing some true spiritual leadership on the immigration issue.

The United States has security issues at its southern border. Eleven million people (give or take) have crossed into our country and are currently living all around us. In some areas of our country, the influx of “illegal immigrants” has caused expensive logistical problems for social services agencies and local governments.

At the same time, it’s not possible to deport 11 million people and to remain committed to our country’s ideals, let alone our Catholic faith. And if we allow our government to implement such draconian measures, the resulting logistical and law enforcement nightmare would allow the most ineffectual, left-footed terrorist to enter our country with impunity.

In the March 30 issue, Lisa Olwine wonders why Bishops Gregory and Boland’s pastoral letter did not address the moral obligations of individuals to “observe a country’s laws governing entrance and residence.”

The answer is that the bishops were not talking to the illegal immigrants. They were talking to us, and they were pointing out that yes, there has been a failure of U.S. taxpayers to be sufficiently generous to those who reside here “illegally.”

The United States has security issues at its southern border. If we allow the current wave of hysteria directed at all illegals to cause us to go against our faith, we’ll have security issues AND faith issues.

Greg Wood, Internet