The myths about the myths of immigration

The recent article in the "Idaho Catholic Register" trying to dispel the myths of immigration is severely flawed, including the simple fact it does not distinguish between legal and illegal immigration. Therefore, to counter the excuses for illegal immigration by Christine Zapata and Marcie Wilske, I will assume the article is always speaking of illegal immigrants.

In fact, once you limit the conversation to those people who do not have a legal right to be here in the first place, Christine and Marcie’s expertise is almost comical.

Myths 1, 2, 3, and 7 (don’t pay taxes, don’t take jobs, and are a drain on the economy and resources) become ridiculous when illegals aren’t supposed to have jobs in the first place, therefore shouldn’t be a part of any tax, wage, economic, welfare, education, or resource equation.

Myth 4 says immigrants are different than 100 years ago which is true because we never spoke of millions of illegal immigrants until 1983.

Myths 5 and 6 state illegals don’t sneak across the border and they don’t pose a threat to national security. Perhaps Christine and Marcie would explain the video footage of thousands of illegals sneaking across the border is just a glow-in-the-dark Easter egg hunt. They should also explain the recent string of high-profile vicious gang murder and rapes and how this is not a threat to those of us here legally.

If myth 8, they don’t want to learn English, were false, then why does the government have to provide multi-lingual ballots, welfare, and school enrollment forms? Why does the ICR have to have a whole Spanish section, and why do immigrants refuse Mass in English? If immigrants (legal or illegal) want to learn English, they could do so in a matter of weeks not 10 years.

Finally the last statements say the church is in favor of illegal immigration and thinks amnesty should replace enforcement. Can any theologian explain why we should forgive the illegals for identity fraud, but prosecute the citizen for the same crime? The ICR needs to realize most of the diocese speaks English and are legal US citizens and dedicating over half of the paper to alternate language and political begging for amnesty is the reason subscriptions are being dropped.

Myth 11. (I added this one) Illegal immigration is a complicated issue. No it’s not. Turn off the anchor baby amendment, kick them out of school, and crack down on the employers who have 9.5 million mis-matched social security numbers to the names. Then get a large ship, get all the illegals out of prison and ship them off to Africa where they can’t sneak across the border.

What do Teacher's unions do for kids?

The recent issue of the “Idaho Catholic Register” contains some editorials replying to criticism of the teachers union, including a group effort claiming a petition was signed by 94 supportive teachers (out of several thousand). There was also an interesting editorial where the author stated he was surprised to learn of such ‘political discourse’ present in the Register. Either this person never reads the Register or has a vastly different ruler for what is political.

As you read on, please do not jump to your own conclusion that I am attacking the teaching profession or teachers personally. Instead, I am questioning the judgment that supports an institution that works against most things Christian, let alone Catholic: Things that recently the Vatican has forbade support of…

Here is a simple question: “What has the teacher’s union done for the kids?”

We know what they do for teachers: Ensuring a pregnant teacher has the right to kill her unborn child. Ensuring that gay teachers can marry and adopt children. Fighting to see that a human life can be created and then destroyed as long as it is labeled “embryonic stem cell research.”

It is perplexing that the union doesn’t even train teachers to be better teachers. Who pays when school is let out for all the teacher’s workshops? The taxpayer does. Shouldn’t the union use all those dues they collect to put together workshops on new advanced teaching methods that will help children learn better? Sadly, unions seem to fight against evaluation of teachers to see who could really use some training.

Wait, maybe I overlooked how unions help the kids: Ensuring kids never have to be offended by the presence of a bible in free-reading hour. Ensuring that kids will never have to view the oppressive 10 commandments anywhere in their community. Ensuring that kids can get contraception, have sex, and then have an abortion and their parents cannot even find out without a court order. Ensuring that kids will have all the behavior modification drugs they need without parental “interference.” Ensuring that kindergarten students are aware of their sexual orientation. Ensuring that kids get diversity training first, reading and math if there’s still time.

Now that I think about it, the unions certainly have the kids’ best interest in mind. NOT.

If you are confused that this represents the teacher’s union, then investigate what lobbying and organizational contribution is done with your union dues. Do you realize that supporting your union supports all these principles – even if you personally disagree with them? Do you further realize how at-odds the unions are with nearly every Catechism teaching. In fact, opposition to anything Christian is paramount the mission of liberalism and socialism. Don’t be fooled into thinking the unions care about their members or the kids. It’s about power.

Now let me ask a much deeper question: If the Vatican urges communion to be withheld from politicians who support these principles, and you financially support an organization (through your dues) that also supports these principles, should you be receiving communion without going to confession first? Don’t even sidestep the question by stating you don’t think the Pope has the right to withhold communion – because if in John 20:23 Christ can give the priest the power to withhold ABSOLUTION FOR SIN, don’t you think they have the right to withhold holy Eucharist?

I quote Ann Coulter as a example of how screwed up the education system has become as a result of liberal ideological hypocrisy,

“College campuses across the nation are installing foot baths to accommodate Muslims' daily bathing ritual, while surgically removing the Ten Commandments from every public space in America. Maybe the Ten Commandments could be printed on towels and kept next to the foot baths.” The full article can be read at http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=23038

Now take a glimpse at how bad this will get. Author Dinesh D’Souza's book, "What’s So Great About Christianity" quoted liberal college professor and atheist philosopher Richard Rorty, who spent the last years of his life as a professor at Stanford University argued that secular professors ought “to arrange things so that students who enter as bigoted, homophobic fundamentalists will leave college with views more like our own.” The goal of education is to help our children “escape the grip of their frightening, vicious, dangerous parents… We are going to go right on trying to discredit you in the eyes of your children, trying to strip your fundamentalist religious community of dignity, trying to make your views seem silly rather than discussable.”

In closing, defense of the union brings along with it defense of many things that Jesus warned about. Do the unions do good things? Honestly, I don’t know because union liberalism has fought against good things like school system accountability and parental role in raising their children. I do not know of anything the teacher’s union has done that has benefited the children. Yes, most teachers are angels, but does the union initiate or even support these teacher’s initiatives? Show me. And even if you find something, show me how it negates everything else.

Women Seeking ordination only serve themselves

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2007/08/24/catholic-women-ordained-priests-minneapolis.html#comment-25867

This article will curl your skin. If it doesn't, you seriously need to study your church. It also illustrates what I think is really behind women seeking ordination - their own fame.

Simply answer this question: How can a person fulfill their calling to God while openly defying the Vatican? These women, and the Bishops that ordain them, seem to think that their wisdom is greater than 2000 years of the holiest of men and women before them that have not once done what they claim is their right to do.

And here is the clincher: Their faith has been reduced to their desires. They have given up their humility and thus no longer serve God's will for God's will and the Vatican cannot be in conflict.

Moore is a Sicko - and an Idiot

If you are , or know a Micheal Moore fan who is raving about his latest film Sicko, here is a response....

http://www.onthefencefilms.com/blog/index.php?m=200611

There is a film "Dead Meat" that shows you the side of the Canadian health care system that Micheal Moore won't..... Most Canadians run to the the US for their health care - but supposedly this is the best system in the world....

Bishop Driscoll is blinded by the immigration bill

The latest issue of the Idaho Catholic Register has an article from the Bishop urging us all to call our Senators and assist in resurrecting the immigration bill.

I think resurrection should be reserved for specific things, not this. We should all call the diocese, our local parish priests and demand some clarity.....

Which immigration bill are we to support: the one that would allow known gang members, felons, and pedophiles to become citizens within 24 hours OR the one with the Republican amendment that only sends the pedophiles back?

You realize the recent bust of 700 pedophiles in a global network (that featured live streaming video of horrific molestation of infants) would have all be welcomed under the original bill. Have you even looked at the bill? It claims it can correctly identify 15 million aliens in 24 hours while we can’t even process a single passport in 4 months.

Maybe Fr. Taylor could entertain us with his wisdom and explain this. He seems to the be paper's voice of authority on such matters.

Idaho Catholics Need a conservative outlet

If you are like me, reading the Idaho Catholic Register can be difficult, especially if you read Fr. Taylor's articles. Do you know what his purpose is? I think I heard the running joke that his article is used to gauge readership by how many angry phone calls and e-mails the diocese receives.
The single most frustrating thing is the lack of leadership in the clergy. Bishops that don't use their God-given balls and make a decision. Should we deny communion to pro-choice parishioners? Should we follow the Vatican or not? Making matters worse is when our priests publish an article in the statesman that goes against the catechism such as Fr. Fauche's editorial a while back stating that gay marriage could be helpful since it is no worse than the current state of marriage during the constitutional amendment frenzy. The evangelical groups LOVE to pick up on these and run around their churches proving to their members Catholics are all the evils they say we are.

Now we have allegations that Holy Apostle is denying time for Idaho Chooses life in the bulletin, and I only get blank stares when I ask about it. I know Idaho Chooses life can be pushy, but did the church tell a pro-life group to get out of the church unless they sit down and shut up in the pews?

I don't want this blog to be a clergy-bashing blog, although I know that is where much of our beef exists and reform can only happen through the clergy. I also want non-Catholics to participate in the spirit of ecumenicism and lets focus on what we have in common. I would love this to be place where you can come a vent, but then work towards solutions. How can we get the priests on Sunday to explain the catechism's 4 justifications for war instead of bashing Bush on the war on terror. How can we get our pro-life groups in our parishes to get just as much face-time as the social justice groups - which in my opinion are mostly socialist welfare expansion groups.
Tell us what's going on in your parish - feel free to post calender events and encourage people from outside your parish to join.