Immigrants should follow legal process Print E-mail
By The Catholic Spirit   
Wednesday, 02 June 2010
My parents waited 11 years to bring my sister and me to this country. There was no “persecution, famine or war [to] threaten their lives and their rights to work and worship”  that caused this, just the desire to build a family here in the United States.

Letters

So, when we know that most of the illegal immigrants coming to the United States from wherever they come are not coming due to “persecution, famine or war,” and that they want to “work and contribute to their communities,” why should they get to cross any of our land or sea borders without following the proper legal process?

Yes, the process needs to be reformed. But until it is, we all need to follow it and not call folks who break the law something they are not. 

Brent J. Christen
St. Olaf, Minneapolis


Israelis need wall in order to be secure


Evidently Sister Florence Steichen [Letters, May 6] has not kept up with events in Israel since the mid-1960s, even though she is described as having been “registrar at Bethlehem University, 1987-1992.”

If she had, she might understand why the Israelis were compelled, several years ago, to erect a wall to keep some Palestinians out. Until the wall was erected and stringent conditions were put in place to keep certain people out of Israel, it was an almost weekly occurrence for some Palestinian “martyr” to blow himself (or herself) up, slaughtering innocent men, women and children in pizza parlors, while riding the bus or attending a dance.

Did she notice while at Bethlehem University that Arab Muslims live freely in Israel and even elect representatives to the Israeli Knesset, while Jews cannot even exist in the areas controlled by the Palestinians?

If the Palestinians lay down their arms, peace will ensue and the wall will come down. If the Israelis lay down their arms, every Jewish man, woman and child will be dead within a matter of weeks.

Christians might fare a little better under the ensuing Sharia law — we might be allowed to live, anyway — but not much better than in other Muslim lands.

Dave Matheny
Holy Family, St. Louis Park


Story highlighted worthy endeavor


I enjoyed the article by Maria Wiering, “Businessman-turned-historian preserves Rome’s churches in photos” [April 22].

Mr. Pulles recorded on film churches and their artworks, especially the least visited and deteriorating churches of Rome. It is a very valuable and important endeavor. 

Ronald Schwartzbauer
St. Bernard, St. Paul