Now, I am no fan of illegal aliens. And it makes my blood boil when the Archbishop, the USCCB and the Maryland Catholic Conference call them "undocumented workers" or "undocumented immigrants."
However, as Catholics we do have an obligation to help, especially if we can do it for free.
The Spanish Catholic Center is in the running to receive a $20,000 grant from Tom's of Maine to get a Digital X-Ray machine. They intend to use to reduce the amount of time per x-ray from 30 minutes to 10 minutes!
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11 comments:
The next time you become irate at the sound "illegal alien," remember that there is this bronze plaque inside this huge cooper statue in New York harbor which says:
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free; the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Also remember that, in Scripture, it is stated, "You shall not oppress an alien. You know how it feels to be an alien, since you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt."
Elsewhere in scripture it states:
"When an alien resides with you in your land, do not molest him. You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; have the same love for him as for yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the LORD, am your God."
Italians, during the Ellis Island days were regards as the dregs of humanity. WOP meant "Without Papers," thereby meaning illegal alien. I'm an Italian whose alien grandparents got married in Brooklyn.
I see the Hispanics as part of the same tradition. Us Italians had our empires, our Renaissance, our inventors, and our artists. Spain had its empire, its Golden Era, its poets, and its artists. In fact, if it weren't for a Spanish Queen and an Italian Sailor, this conversation wouldn't be happening.
People are no less human by legal or illegal status. Plus, necessity knows no law. Necessity doesn't stop at a borderline.
What happened to an America who welcomed the poor and huddled masses? America is nothing but the land of first, second, third, etc. generation aliens. We are not indigenous to America. We messed up the archeological record here.
Yes, you are correct about the Statue of Liberty but (1) that was a time when there were few immigration laws and (2) there are laws which are broken.
Yes, you are correct about Scripture but there is no mention if those are legal or illegal aliens. Those that are here legally, I have no problem with and should be welcomed w/ open arms. Those who are here illegally should be deported.
I am not certain what being Italian or Hispanic has to do with this.
Even the Indians or "Native Americans" were aliens to this land.
Concerning your borderline. The next time someone robs you of cash or of some of your possessions, and it is because they needed it, please don't call the police.
Your last statement responding to your first comment “don’t call the police” is a red herring. Ask yourself this question–if you are a father and have a choice between 1) living in a war-ravaged country where your children--if they survive--will live in utter poverty and 2) risking deportation and even imprisonment by coming illegally to the U.S., what would you do?
Being Italian (or Irish or Polish) has a lot to do with it. First, please realize that the country’s first immigration laws were passed in the late 1800's, so its not as if “illegal” immigration is a recent phenomenon. Second, your distinction with respect to “legal” or “illegal” misses the point of your first poster. We as Catholics should be welcoming of aliens, and we have a duty to advocate for immigration laws that are welcoming and respect the dignity of all persons. Human law changes and does not transcend God’s law.
Regarding Scripture and whether the aliens were “legal or illegal,” recall that when the Israelites entered the promised land, the land was not empty but was occupied by the Amorites, the Cannanites, and others whom the Israelites had to fight. So I think its safe to say they were “illegal.”
Whether legal or illegal, an alien is not permitted to commit an act of violence. No advocate of helpless immigrants is advocating violence. Rather, such a person seeks to spare the immigrant from being a victim of violence.
The second comment on the comment board made it sound as if all illegal aliens rob and rape. Uhm. The reason why certain Hispanics cross into Texas is because they were not violent members of any drug cartel. If such people were violent robbers, they would have done their robbing in Central America. Have you not seen the films of Hispanic men crossing into the States while holding a child or two whom he was trying to keep from starvation?
What if you were the father of children in a country made desolate with corruption, organized crime, and criminally low wages that benefit greed stricken America corporate heads. Would you not flee from such evil?
In Catholic Church teaching, to not give available rescue to a person in "grave necessity" or "extreme necessity" is a sin against charity. To oppress that same person with some sort of prosecution is a sin against justice.
Whoever you are, ask yourself one thing, concerning the illegal immigration issue: "What if it were me who was that destitute alien with hungry children?"
This is a response to the comment, "I am not certain what being Italian or Hispanic has to do with this."
ANS: The rediscovery of America, (after the Vikings) was a joint effort of ITALIANS and SPANIARDS. Yet, in recent decades, Italians and Spaniards were regarded as trash who in no way belong in America. However, ...
Italy and Hispanic nations had their scientific breakthroughs and other contributions to civilized society, too. It doesn't matter what those Latin cultures gave to humanity, however, being that both cultures have been stereotyped as uncivilized. After all, what is usually the first Italian name that comes to mind in America today? ANS: the fictional Tony Soprano.
In fact, what's the most common phrase attached to Italians today? ANS: " A bunch of Guidos.
Concerning the Hispanic world, what is stereotypically brought to mind when the name Hispanic is mentioned? ANS: The switch blade, the hand gun, and cocaine.
This might come as a surprise, but there actually are Hispanic master craftsmen in the construction industry. It might be humbling to see an expert Hispanic crew in action. You might notice easy going athletic expertise, with the concise squaring of edges. If you do come to see such a thing from a Hispanic crew, know that you weren't be the first one to have done so.
Only those of us who dated women in that world and lived amongst Hispanics have any credibility when it comes to commenting about that world. Interestingly enough, the first thing that you notice about the Hispanic world is how tiny Hispanics usually are. It can be a surprise to anyone familiar with life on northern football and baseball fields, and who also knows what it is to be a teammate of those who ended up in everything from the Super Bowl, to the Cotton Bowl, to the Sugar Bowl. That tiny Hispanic stature takes away any sense of intimidation when you are introduced into the Hispanic culture.
It's not the povery stricken immigrants who are the problem. It's the people in power in some of the Latin America nations who are the problems.
Yes, the ones who drove masses of humanity into immigration are the problems who have to be dealt with. This is why human history has world courts that occasionally result in things such as Nuremberg and the Tokyo War Crimes Trials.
In the original U.S. constitution, such a judicial recourse was included, and it's still there. It's called the Alien Tort Claims Act. Do you want to solve the illegal immigration problem? Then pursue the Alien Tort Claim Act. It used to be called the "Pirate Act," inserted for foreigners who were the victims of pirates. Today's illegal immigrants are the victims of pirates of a different sort.
By the way, in my entire Italian life, I knew a grand total of one person named Guido. He was a blind college student.
To the Anons...
1. I do not get upset at the sound of illegal alien. I get upset when it is not used to describe those who have entered the country illegally or who have overstayed their legal time limit.
2. On the contrary, it is not a red herring. Those who ahve entered the country illegally, have already broken the law. Some will do it over and over again. most will not. But the law has been broken. If this is not the case, then why worry about MS-13.
In fact, just last night, there was a series on the Border Patrol (National Geo TV) and a man they caught w/ twin girls. No blood relation. Could have been someone bringing them to their parents. Could have been someone who was bringing them for child prostitution. The INS was not certain.
3. Again, I agree we should welcome aliens...just as long as they follow the laws to come in. The MCC, USCCB and Wuerl love to do that: accuse anyone who does not support illegal aliens as being against all aliens.
ANyway, you guys/gals are just too much fun on how you are willing to look the other way for those who come to the US illegally.
Hey thanks for coming by and look forward to seeing you here more.
An important note was made: MS13.
Yes, that is of the essence.
For the record, an MS13 member is NOT included in concern for destitute immigrants. In fact, you just might find that those who are supportive of destitute immigrants are those who would not object to extreme police action against the MS13. It goes like this:
Violent gangs drove people out of Latin American countries. In time, the same violent gangs will drive the people out of sections of this country. That is not going to be tolerated by the typical American mindset.
Therefore, the question is this:
Will Americans not tolerate violent gangs according existing government procedure or will Americans take matters into their own hands? A recent comment board mentioned Baltimore and this one mentioned Italians. With that being that case, keep in mind what the Italian Americans of the Baltimore area did in the late 1960s, in order to safeguard their neighborhoods. Will more of that happen in the near future, or will government finally rise from its coma?
The Washington Catholic blog master mentioned fear of being robbed. Yes, that is a legitimate fear. Protecting legal and illegal inhabitants from violence is Rule Number 1. So, the quest is not to round up illegals. It is to round up the violent bandits and gang members.
Talking about added outrage and scandal:
It was admitted by officials that the present prison system is such that they are creating monsters. There is something else needs to be reformed in America.
Elective abortion is complete violence, also. Sweatshop nations allow violence and more violence upon needed workers. Priest and teacher molestation is yet more violence. Come to think of it, corporate greed is violence, also. A corrupt bishop's grab for power is also an act of violence, especially one of the Lavender Mafia variety. Teen suicide is no longer unheard of, and that is preceded by a violence mentality.
This is a violent generation. Someone has got to wake people up to the fact that being violent doesn't make you great. Being unique makes you great. Being the first to do something, such as fly or cure cancer, makes you great. Violence is not unique. It has been done before, time after time after time. Can't mankind think of something new to do, other than be violent?
Your legal/illegal distinction is convenient but weak philosophically. When St. Joseph took Mary to Egypt--he was probably breaking the law. As did those who hid Jews during the Third Reich. As did most of the martyrs.
Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free; the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" is not part of the constitution and Emma Lazarus was a communist.
Got to give credit where credit is due:
The anonymous of March 1, 2010 10:24 PM left a very wise comment. Good show.
It seems that, if there were not an MS13 terrorizing sectors of the Americas, there wouldn't be that much apprehension over illegal immigrants, except for the fiscal concerns that have already been brought to the fore in many forums. This brings us to the question"
1- What is government doing about MS13? It can't sit back and do nothing.
2- What about the sweatshop factory economies of the nations which produce fleeing immigrants?
Slavery has been made illegal by individual nations and international treaties, alike. If you pay the workers, they won't be running to the U.S. Rather, they'll be occasionally buying an American product or two in their homelands --- provided that their homelands are not protectionist tariff nations.
We need a real government. Like now.
Emma Lazarus was a commy? Now, hold the phone, Al Capone.
Emma Lazarus was Ralph Waldo Emerson's long time pen pal, and she was related to one of the U.S. Supreme Court justices (on her mom's side.) Plus, she was born in NYC. She wasn't in the turmoil that Europe endured between 1848 to 1870.
The confusion is that Clara Lemlich identified herself part of the Emma Lazarus Federation of Jewish Women's Clubs, and she was a member of the communist party. Emma Lazarus was born in 1849 and died on 1887. Clara Lemlich wasn't born until 1886. The two persons didn't know each other, obviously. Thus, there didn't influence each other.
The bottom line is that communist party member, Clara Lemlich, can be easily confused with Emma Lazarus.
By the way, Emma's poem is not in the constitution. True. But, neither are the four Gospels, Paul's Epistles, Everyman, Utopia, the Summa Theologica, or the British Magna Carta. That fact doesn't make those writings any less valuable.
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