Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Minnesota Bishops, Immigrants, Papers and Justice

Imagine yourself on the sidewalk, going home from work. Ahead, you see a uniformed figure, a member of the state police. He turns, notices you and says: "Your papers, please."

You reach in your pocket for the government papers that give you the right to be in that area. They're not there. You try your other pockets.

The state official is growing impatient.

Then you remember: you left your papers on the dresser at home.

So you are handcuffed, taken to a holding facility: where you will wait while those in authority begin sifting through your background. You'd better hope that there are no irregularities in your past, and that you have all your papers: or you will not walk on that sidewalk again.

"It Can't Happen Here," Right?

That won't happen to me. I speak fluent American English and have pasty-white skin. Sparkling blue eyes attest to my northwestern European ancestry.

I won't be picked up because of my appearance, until someone gets the idea that middle-aged bearded men are a threat.

I won't be asked to show my papers, because I don't look like 'those immigrants.'

Immigrants Commit Crimes! So do 'Real Americans'

Timothy McVeigh helped blow up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building Oklahoma City. He was white. That doesn't mean that all "white" folks want to blow up buildings with people inside.

Some immigrants commit crimes. That doesn't mean that all immigrants are criminals, waiting for a chance to strike.

Immigrants are People

From today's news:
"Minnesota bishops urge national immigration reform"
TheCatholicSpirit.com (June 30, 2010)
(The Official Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis)

"Minnesota's Catholic bishops want comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level, citing the need for legislation that is just and compassionate.

" 'The way we treat immigrants, whether documented or undocumented, is a matter of justice,' the bishops wrote. 'It re­flects our commitment to fairness and de­cency, our respect for persons and families.'...

"...The statement, the bishops' third since 2007, was re­leased June 15. It was signed by all 10 of the state's active and retired bishops. It was prompted in part by recent legislation passed in Arizona and concerns of a similar law being adopted in Minnesota.

"The soon-to-be-enacted Arizona law would require police officers to make a 'reasonable attempt' to determine a person's legal status during any lawful 'stop, detention or arrest' and arrest those who can't prove their status...."
Let me repeat that last phrase: "...and arrest those who can't prove their status."

Yes, folks who moved to America without getting the proper government papers are a problem - at least for some bureaucrats. And yes, illegal aliens/undocumented immigrants/whatever are a problem. As I quoted a few days ago:
"Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian."
Robert Orben, The Quotations Page
(June 25, 2010)
Sometimes, when bishops sign off on a statement, I have to grit my teeth and work at understanding how and why they said what they did. (June 24, 2010)

Today, it won't be so much work. I've been interested in the 'immigrant crisis,' or whatever it's called, for some time.

And I'm very glad that my ancestors looked Anglo.

Related posts:In the news:
A tip of the hat to catholicspirit, on Twitter, for the heads-up on their article.

1 comment:

Brian H. Gill said...

kashif14763,

Thank you.

Everyone else,

Translation.pk provides "translation services in all major cities of Pakistan...," according to their website's home page.

Like it? Pin it, Plus it, - - -

Pinterest: My Stuff, and More

Advertisement

Unique, innovative candles


Visit us online:
Spiral Light CandleFind a Retailer
Spiral Light Candle Store

Popular Posts

Label Cloud

1277 abortion ADD ADHD-Inattentive Adoration Chapel Advent Afghanistan Africa America Amoris Laetitia angels animals annulment Annunciation anti-catholicism Antichrist apocalyptic ideas apparitions archaeology architecture Arianism art Asperger syndrome assumptions asteroid astronomy Australia authority balance and moderation baptism being Catholic beliefs bias Bible Bible and Catechism bioethics biology blogs brain Brazil business Canada capital punishment Caritas in Veritate Catechism Catholic Church Catholic counter-culture Catholicism change happens charisms charity Chile China Christianity Christmas citizenship climate change climatology cloning comets common good common sense Communion community compassion confirmation conscience conversion Corpus Christi cosmology creation credibility crime crucifix Crucifixion Cuba culture dance dark night of the soul death depression designer babies despair detachment devotion discipline disease diversity divination Divine Mercy divorce Docetism domestic church dualism duty Easter economics education elections emotions England entertainment environmental issues Epiphany Establishment Clause ethics ethnicity Eucharist eugenics Europe evangelizing evolution exobiology exoplanets exorcism extremophiles faith faith and works family Father's Day Faust Faustus fear of the Lord fiction Final Judgment First Amendment forgiveness Fortnight For Freedom free will freedom fun genetics genocide geoengineering geology getting a grip global Gnosticism God God's will good judgment government gratitude great commission guest post guilt Haiti Halloween happiness hate health Heaven Hell HHS hierarchy history holidays Holy Family Holy See Holy Spirit holy water home schooling hope humility humor hypocrisy idolatry image of God images Immaculate Conception immigrants in the news Incarnation Independence Day India information technology Internet Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Japan Jesus John Paul II joy just war justice Kansas Kenya Knights of Columbus knowledge Korea language Last Judgment last things law learning Lent Lenten Chaplet life issues love magi magic Magisterium Manichaeism marriage martyrs Mary Mass materialism media medicine meditation Memorial Day mercy meteor meteorology Mexico Minnesota miracles Missouri moderation modesty Monophysitism Mother Teresa of Calcutta Mother's Day movies music Muslims myth natural law neighbor Nestorianism New Year's Eve New Zealand news Nietzsche obedience Oceania organization original sin paleontology parish Parousia penance penitence Pentecost Philippines physical disability physics pilgrimage politics Pope Pope in Germany 2011 population growth positive law poverty prayer predestination presumption pride priests prophets prostitution Providence Purgatory purpose quantum entanglement quotes reason redemption reflections relics religion religious freedom repentance Resurrection robots Roman Missal Third Edition rosaries rules sacramentals Sacraments Saints salvation schools science secondary causes SETI sex shrines sin slavery social justice solar planets soul South Sudan space aliens space exploration Spain spirituality stem cell research stereotypes stewardship stories storm Sudan suicide Sunday obligation superstition symbols technology temptation terraforming the establishment the human condition tolerance Tradition traffic Transfiguration Transubstantiation travel Trinity trust truth uncertainty United Kingdom universal destination of goods vacation Vatican Vatican II veneration vengeance Veterans Day videos virtue vlog vocations voting war warp drive theory wealth weather wisdom within reason work worship writing

Marian Apparition: Champion, Wisconsin

Background:Posts in this blog: In the news:

What's That Doing in a Nice Catholic Blog?

From time to time, a service that I use will display links to - odd - services and retailers.

I block a few of the more obvious dubious advertisers.

For example: psychic anything, numerology, mediums, and related practices are on the no-no list for Catholics. It has to do with the Church's stand on divination. I try to block those ads.

Sometime regrettable advertisements get through, anyway.

Bottom line? What that service displays reflects the local culture's norms, - not Catholic teaching.