Letter to the Editor from Tucker

Published: July 6, 2006

To the Editor:

It was marvelous to read David J. Shook’s letter in the June 15 issue. I applaud him for recognizing that the caption under the picture of the warship going by the Statue of Liberty was a “sophomoric and uninformed comparison.” I wish I had his eloquence—I simply wanted to call it dumb.

Overall, I thought the letter intelligently and concisely expressed the view held by many Catholics, and I would welcome the letter writer to any and all discussions on the topic of illegal immigration. We need this point of view represented at the table.

However, I disagree with the thrust of his questions regarding the role of the U.S. Catholic Church and its Mexican counterpart. He wrote those points while metaphorically holding a cross in one hand and the flag in the other and sided with the flag.

Our country is 230 years old. Our faith is 2,000 years old. Both are ever changing and ever new. Both are dynamic. Both have a voice at the table on immigration reform.

But, the question is not, “What can the Mexican Catholic Church do to prevent illegal immigration when we build a wall?” The question is, “How will we welcome millions of fellow Catholics who come into our midst?”

If we emphasize the flag, it will obscure the cross. So, how do we discuss this issue so the cross bears true witness and the flag takes the background? What is the position of the cross when it represents the U.S. employer and the undocumented employee? What is the position of the cross when it promises allegiance to the foreigner in his or her homeland and the cross that promises to show the way?

That’s the crux of the debate and the more voices that are heard, the healthier the resolution will be. Let’s continue to dialog.

Michael M. Manning, Tucker