On April 27, North Carolina Bishops Peter Jugis and Luis Zarama issued a joint letter addressing the nation’s immigration problems. We agree with their efforts to highlight the dignity of each person regardless of background. Recognizing this is the first step towards building a culture of life.
However, the bishops’ policy suggestions seem to be a more secular approach to a spiritually rooted problem.
Respectfully, experience has shown a solution will not come from Washington, D.C., as the bishops suggest. Rather, it will come from local communities as national politics flows from local culture and morality. Therefore, we propose an alternate solution: Since abortion devalues the family and human dignity – the root of our problems – why not enlist Latino immigrants to engage in the defense of life and morality?
Engaging Latinos to fight the root of our crisis – legalized abortion and contraception – will result in a better spiritual vision for America that will guide us in crafting just immigration policies. Their fervent faith is just what our culture needs.
The apostles didn’t wait for Roman citizenship to evangelize the gospel and convert souls, and neither should immigrants. Rather than wait for a law that never comes, our bishops should inspire them to live up to their collective vocation and build a culture of life.
After all, if they succeed in saving our country from these moral evils, it is probable that changes in immigration legislation will follow suit. Through prayer and action, we can build a culture of life.
Michael FitzGerald, Tammy Harris, Andrea Hines, Bill Lamay and Tina Witt are members of the Catholic Pro-Life Action Network of Charlotte (C-PLAN).
I would like to respond to the April 13 Catholic News Service article “Catholic Leaders react to Trump’s plan to send troops to border.” The San Antonio archbishop stated it was a senseless, disgraceful action, and that it demonstrated repression, fear, a perception that everyone is the enemy and sends the message, “We don’t care about anyone else.”
President Trump is not stopping people from coming into the country legally. How else are we going to stop the drugs, gang members and sex traffickers from pouring into our country? They are mixed in with others who are just trying to seek a better life. We have a horrible drug problem in our country, and it is only getting worse. Has anyone in the past made any progress with the “War on Drugs”? There is no reason immigration can’t be handled in an organized way. It would be safer for everyone, including the immigrants.
I do not believe Trump is against immigrants. I do believe he is brave enough to make hard decisions other politicians have shied away from.
Immigrants should be able to come into our country protected from traffickers and without fear of being forced into a gang. Our present system is not working. Can we at least wait to see if this strategy is beneficial? Why are we so quick to pass judgment?
Verne Franks lives in Asheville.