Heard a show on Catholic Radio today while at work which really put forth some interesting points that I had not considered concerning immigration in this country and illegal immigrants.
I had by no means even considered that out of the 8 million Illegal immigrants that are in this country now that most are Catholic. I had not stopped to consider this implication that Illegal immigrants are actually increasing the number of devout and faithful Catholics where a large number of our own American population of Catholics in my opinion seem to have a casual attitude towards the Catholic faith that no longer truely represents what it means to be Catholic.
A large number of these immigrants are coming from sociaties where the Catholic faith is the norm for the population of the southern hemisphere of the America’s. We should be glad to see them coming into our country and welcoming them as brothers and sisters in the Catholic community.
I have heard the grumblings from some people how they are coming into our country and taking jobs away from hard working Americans and being a drain on the system. Frankly to this I say “Bull” and a fresh pile of it at that to paint a clear picture of my thought on the statement. These people are coming into the country and doing jobs that American’s no longer wish to do or think is beneath them. They are working hard to earn thier money and in turn are spending it back into the economy and of course when they do this they are paying taxes on the goods they are purchasing even if by their illegal status their are not reporting to the IRS. They are still paying a share of the city, county, state and federal tax income. As a country we should be making it much easier for them to become legal citizens with all the benefits and responsibilities (such as paying income tax). We have truely made it difficult for an immigrant in this country legally working to even bring his family into this land. It was mentioned by the Bishop of the Florida diocese that trying to do this legally could take up to ten years. I see no reason to make it so difficult for people wanting to work and enjoy this country in obtaining legal status. After all this country was founded upon immigration.
We have such abundance in this country that we do not really realize at all what it truely means to do without. Even some of the most poor in America would be considered rich by the standards of poor in other countries.
We have nothing to lose by intergrating these fine immigrants into the American life as full citizens and if we do not in my opinion we will lose much both as a culture and also in our Faith.
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2 responses to “Immigration”
Actually, many of our recent illegal immigrants come with problems. Their children are less likely to graduate high school, more likely to be illiterate and are highly dependent on welfare. Yes, they work hard and yes they tend to be Catholic but how does importing a new underclass really benefit America?
The racist spanish ancestry controllong class in mexico is refusing to use its nation’s resources to help its poor, but is making every effort to thrust its social undesireables on the US. Mexico has some of the wealthiest citizens in South America who pay the lowest rate of effective taxation. As a Catholic I am very upset with the political posturing of the US bishops who decry our nation’s efforts to protect itsef but are stone silent when it comes to the evil racist policies of the Mexican elite.