To the Editor:
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Bettendorf was one of the host parishes adopting a Vietnamese family in an earlier immigration challenge. We took them under our wing, providing food, clothing, housing and education in our Catholic school. This family is now thriving in the U.S.
Why are we not continuing this successful approach to immigrants coming from Latin America? It seems as if we have washed our hands of responsibility. Christ — not the federal government — gave his followers the charge to welcome the stranger and feed the hungry. Catholics are generous especially when they can see, touch and feel those in need. Thousands of parishes are willing and able to do Christ’s bidding. Why are we not being given this mission in an organized way by our leadership?
Instead it seems we are being challenged to tend to others’ needs by sending more to centralized government through mandatory taxes that are often squandered. After administration costs, these greatly diminished funds return to locally paid hirelings who do not have the same compassion as do individuals drawn by faith.
For some reason, this wasteful process does not trouble editorial writer Frank Wessling since he continues to hold up his political hero as the shining light on the hill — this time regarding immigration.
He forgets that every action has consequences and forgets the major pitfalls of carte blanche redistribution of what many hardworking sons and daughters of immigrants have/are earning.
When the incentives to push themselves to their limits are removed, and aspirations of job creators are stunted, it is the poor and marginalized who suffer the most.
We need to speed up and widen the immigration processes, but not by allowing one individual to usurp authority not constitutionally his — totally circumventing the law with the stroke of his pen.
Charlene Merritt
Bettendorf
