Recent Letters

How ironic Professor Ospino writes an entire opinion column on communication, about not remaining silent, but never really defines what he means by “immigrant.” I can only assume he means “legal” immigrants. All Catholics welcome “legal” immigrants. What is the issue?

The short article raises awareness about some toxic rhetoric in our society and political world that tends to vilify immigrants, especially immigrants of color. I do not differentiate between irregular and regular immigrants in the piece, mindful that in 600 words I cannot attend to the many nuances of what these categories imply. Most irregular immigrants in the United States have lived in this nation for more than 10 years. They have families, children, and grandchildren born in the U.S.; they are the backbone of the agricultural industry; many make possible that the construction and service industries thrive the way they do; they are giving new life to thousands of Catholic parishes throughout the United States, etc.

It’s unfortunate when Catholic voices spread alarmist misrepresentations of issues and feed hysteria. Prof. Ospino says “silence has consequences” so I will speak against the “excesses of those who demonize” supporters of lawfulness, national security and the common good. Let us cut the semantic obfuscation and slanderous implications. There are no loud prejudiced voices against immigrants. (I’m the grandson of an immigrant and married to one, which shouldn’t matter.) There are voices calling for a solution to massive unchecked illegal entry and the overburdening of our asylum system – concerns that were bipartisan until an administration needed to be vilified. There is no bias in this, and only those obsessed with race will read into it racism.

The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary have been ministering in the Bay Area since 1868. As the leadership team for the Holy Names Sisters’ U.S.-Ontario Province, we ask you to share with your readers the urgent call to action issued last week by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.

It’s everywhere – Trump’s a white supremacist, Trump’s a hater, Trump’s anti-Semitic, Trump’s crazy. The archbishop of Washington, D.C., Wilton Gregory, joined the chorus, calling President Trump “racist and divisive.” He follows other Catholic bishops who have labeled Trump similarly. The loaded term “racist” is for another day, but “divisiveness” requires challenge now.