Faith Community Responds to Plight of Immigrants in our Midst

"As people of faith and as the season of Advent approaches, we remember the plight of Jesus’ parents as political realities in their homeland forced them to travel to a foreign country to preserve the life of their first born child."

(SALEM, Ore.) - "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door
The Statue of Liberty"

An event encouraging support for the humane treatment of U.S. immigrants will be held in Salem Friday November 16th at 11:00 AM. It takes place at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church 1010 Columbia Street NE at Portland Road in Salem, Oregon.

At this Ecumenical service, a Statement on Immigration signed by leaders of the Faith-based community from Marion and Polk Counties will be read. This Statement encourages our U.S. Congress and our President to continue to work toward comprehensive and humane immigration reform legislation.

A plan of action will also be presented to respond to potential immigration enforcement raids and their impact on children, families, friends, neighbors, schools, businesses and churches, organizers say.

"We will also commemorate the 18th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of six Jesuit Priests and two women killed in El Salvador on November 16th 1989 by the Salvadorian Military."

The event will give honor to the six priests and two women who were killed because of their work for social justice and peace in Latin America.

They say they want this anniversary commemoration to serve as a reminder of the reasons why thousands of Latin American immigrants flee their countries of origin en route to the United States. Many immigrants are escaping poverty, economic degradation, crime, political and economic violence.

For more information on the event, you can contact the First Congregational Church at 503 363-3660 or CAUSA, the Immigrants Rights Coalition at 503 984-6816.

Images of the six Jesuit Priests who were killed

The names of the six Jesuit martyrs and the women killed in El Salvador are:

* Father Ignacio Ellacuria, a 59-year old Jesuit Priest, a Spanish-born rector of the Central American University,

* Father Ignacio Martin-Bero, a 50-year old Jesuit Priest, a Spanich-born Salvadorian citizen and vice-rector of the Central American Univerrsity,

* Father Segundo Montes, a 56-year old Jesuit Priest who was a Spanish-born sociology professor at the Central American University who did extensive work on Salvadorian refugees in the United States,

* Father Armando Lopez, a 53-year old Jesuit Priest, a Spanish-born philosophy professor at the Central American University,

* Father Juaquin Lopez y Lopez, a 71-year old Jesuit Priest, a Salvadorian-born who was director of a center for humanitarian assistance affiliated with the Central American University,

* Juan Ramon Moreno, a 56-year old Jesuit Priest, Spanish-born, who was director of two Central American University-related programs,

The Ecumenical ministry says the Statue of Liberty reminds us that the United States was created by successive waves of immigration: all of us arrived as part of one wave or another. The United States of America has been formed by people fleeing misery, oppression and poverty in their homeland. Those same factors drive immigration today.

Now, however, we are faced with another time of great upheaval about immigration. With the recent failure on the part of Congress to pass immigration reform, the status of 10-12 million undocumented persons in the United States is in greater jeopardy. The July raid at Portland’s Del Monte plant brings the trouble close to home and makes evident the vulnerability of undocumented people who are our neighbors and friends. Their fears and concerns are real; their future, uncertain.

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Dave in Texas October 23, 2007 9:29 pm (Pacific time)

Neal,why don't you go after the REAL vermin coakroaches in this country like the filthy hollywood actors,Filthy NFL,NBL,NBA players,all who do drugs,sell and buy prositutes,and sell pornography,and not to mention Illegal Americans who steal billions of dollars from SS,Medicare,Medicaid,FHD,Check fraud,Credit card Fraud,Insurance Fraud,Food Stamp Fraud,Katrina Hustler Fraud,and the list goes on and on and on...Maybe America should turn the Light on all of these roaches and including yourself to be rounded up and throw every ones BUTT in prison.And I see you have not responded to any of my scriptures.. Answer:because you are uninformed about the BIBLE. Ans as far as MEXICO having a double standard on Immigation,We have it because this country has millions of Illegal aliens Canadians and Europeans in this country and i have not heard a word from you about this..Swallow this Tee hee

Neal Feldman October 22, 2007 5:52 pm (Pacific time)

Dave - I do not hate illegals. I just do not support them and want them to go home. The best way is to make the country toxic to them. It works. Look how they are fleeing Oklahoma like cockroaches when the lights go on. Again, simile, not calling illegals cockroaches. This caveat deemed necessary due to certain braindead accusations levelled. The rest of your nonsense is ludicrous. What does your mythology have to do with immigration law? As for the pilgrims they were not illegals as they violated no laws on their arrival. The amerinds present at the time had no concept of land ownership, national borders or anything of the sort as such there was no law violated. As for corporate crime and cartels that is another topic. Nowhere do I say illegals are not humans. In fact I have pointed out my position clearly on the point. You and your ilk just seem incapable of comprehending basic english. Maybe you should take some more ESL classes, ya think? My position is even though human illegals have no right to be in this country, period, and it is about time the government started doing its job to get them out and keep them out. Period. I guess you do not like a citizen who supports the law. Tough noogies. You can whine and cry about it with the illegals you seem to love so much from the pther side of the border. Oh BTW have you checked out the immigration laws and penalties IN MEXICO? There if you get caught they do not lavish you with free education, free health care, money, food stamps, housing, etc... they throw your butt into a dark hole to rot until you die. Period. So, let me know when illegals in the US are treated that badly then we can talk, until then here (x)... the world's smallest violin playing just for you and your beloved illegals. Ah well...

David in Texas October 22, 2007 11:17 am (Pacific time)

Neal,where's your OUTRAGE that the AMERICAN CARTELS VERMINS,who are making BILLIONS,and who are knowingly breaking the laws for years and years and never getting arrested for selling and FLOODING MEXICO with ILLEGAL ARMS causing murders to happen there everyday.. But you dont care because they are not human being to you.. and you guess it we have American Cartels in this country and do you hear Laura ingraham or Savage talking about this issue..NO ..Answer:Their too embarassed to talk about it the FILTHY TOILET BOWL CRIME in this country...

Dave in Texas October 22, 2007 10:19 am (Pacific time)

To Neal, were the PILGRIMS were vermins,I guess they were to you because they were CHRISTIANS,like most of the people who come from south of the BORDER are god fearing people. but you sill hate them even though you know that most of them worship the LORD...And were the ILLEGAL ALIEN EUROPEANS who killed the indians.Were the ILLEGAL ALIEN EUROPEANS VERMINS.. Its not about following GOD to you its about spreading your VERMIN HATE..I pray to GOD that he stops you...

Dave in Texas October 22, 2007 9:49 am (Pacific time)

To GOD there are no borders for his children who he LOVES and wants to feed...

Anonymous October 22, 2007 9:19 am (Pacific time)

What I find interesting is how much better Muslims behave on this issue. According to their faith, you simply can not discriminate against someone this way; it is forbidden. If even an enemy seeks shelter, you must give it to him. Sad that Americans are so selfish and self-indulgent that they can not see past a simple manmade border issue.

Neal Feldman October 22, 2007 9:17 am (Pacific time)

Dave - are you serious? Bringing the bible and Superman in? Best you can do? Ah well...

Vic October 22, 2007 9:09 am (Pacific time)

No Neal..no one needs to "twist my words" you do a great job all by yourself of sounding like an egomaniac racist. Doesnt it get lonely up there on that gilded pedestal? Even if I was as full of myself , I would try to have the tact to keep it under wraps. My ancestors came over here illegally from England..they didnt file for citizenship or request a hearing. They just sailed over,landed in Georgia and moved in. So I guess my entire family is the vermin you wish to deal with, unless it is the brown skin thing that upsets you (we are as white as Wonder Bread) That being said, I know that I have my own prejudices and am not innocent either. Ah well.....

Dave in Texas October 22, 2007 8:44 am (Pacific time)

To Neal,Moses and Joshua were ILLEGAL aliens when they migrated from EGYPT to ISRAEL. InEX18V3 Moses said "I am an ALIEN in a foreign country".In MATT25V43 JESUS said "I was an ALIEN and you denied me hospitality".InFIRSTJOHN CH3V15"Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer. In LEV24V22 GOD said"You shall have the same law for the ALIEN as the homeborn citizen" And that great AMERICAN HERO we all adore SUPERMAN was an ILLEGAL ALIEN when he came from the planet KRPTON to EARTH...TeeHee

Neal Feldman October 21, 2007 11:34 pm (Pacific time)

Carla - I agree with you in both your comments. I am presuming you are latina (feel free to correct me if I am wrong) and if I were latino and legal all the illegals would tick me off royally as they would make my life harder... but the ones who I would be even angrier at would be the other legal immigrants who support the illegals and camoflage them in their midst. They are the ones that get those irked at illegals to broadbrush all latinos, not just those here illegally. But it is like when in war you are not supposed to bomb hospitals, but if the enemy uses a hospital as an ammo dump then it is a legitimate target, hospital or no hospital. Same concept. If legal hispanics want to not be broadstroked along with the illegals they need tyo stop identifying with and supporting the illegals and start becoming part of the solution instead of just more of the problem. I know some wingnuts will consider me racist for stating these truths and facts. Let them. My married daughter's surname is Perez, her husband is in the regular US Army out in Iraq and while I oppose the Iraqi invasion and occupation I could not be a stronger supporter of the troops or more proud of my son in law in specific. He is an honorable young man and I could not care what race or nationality he was. So if idiots wish to prove their stupidity by trying to call me a racist because they do not like the truth I speak and hate even more their inability to cogently argue against the truth I speak, let them. It's their credibility going down the drain, not mine. Ah well...

Neal Feldman October 21, 2007 11:24 pm (Pacific time)

Mark Garcia - I am not rationalizing. (You DO know what that word means right?) I am stating the facts in a truthful and accurate manner. What is your problem with that? I know exactly what I sound like. Like an intelligent educated reasonable rational and logical person honestly and accurately describing a situation and solution regarding rampant criminal activity in my country. (Yes, illegals by definition are criminals. violate the law = criminal). I'm sorry you do not like it but being liked is not my job. Being honest is. I will not change the facts or the truth just to make someone happier with me, I am not wired like that. Ah well...

Neal Feldman October 21, 2007 11:19 pm (Pacific time)

vic - I said like any vermin... not any other vermin. I did not call illegals vermin, that was your inference not my implication. It says a lot about you indeed. But my statement is true, if you want to get rid of vermin you make the area toxic to them. The same practices work with illegals (are you going to stupidly claim I am suggesting poisoning illegals? Toxic means unacceptable to thrive in. You can do that with illegals as I outlined which does not involve poison or considering them to be less than human. You pro-illegal folks must really be desperate to try and twist my words in such a dishonest fashion to support your agenda. I find it amusing because it proves you have nothing legitimate to present so attack me all you like and I will continue to point it out, lie and misrepresent and I will point that out too. Ah well...

Carla October 21, 2007 7:00 pm (Pacific time)

By the way, for a refreshing change, would people who disagree with a poster's point please refrain from assaulting the person who posted it? Try intelligently debating the point, rather than launching a personal attack. Just a crazy idea of mine.

Carla October 21, 2007 6:31 pm (Pacific time)

Sorry for all the flak you're taking Neal; I think that you're dead-on target. As the daughter of legal immigrants who worked hard to contribute to this country, follow its laws, and who have exceeded in those goals, I'm right there with you. I'm tired of people who break our laws demanding special privileges, and taking away from those citizens who work hard to follow our country's guiding principles. Anyone who comes to this country legally should be entitled to all of its privileges regardless of skin color or origin, but anyone violating those principles should be labeled what s/he is: illegal, and entitled to nothing.

Mark Garcia October 21, 2007 4:36 pm (Pacific time)

Neal, you are a really twisted person in some respects, sorry to say. You seem like a humanitarian and then you don't at all. So you think lines on a map are all it is about? Come on man, you have the ability to rationalize better than that. You really need some self-examination, I don't think you adequately comprehend what you sound like.

Vic October 21, 2007 4:25 pm (Pacific time)

"we can get rid of them like we would get rid of any vermin" Your words speak for themselves.

Neal Feldman October 21, 2007 10:32 am (Pacific time)

vic - did your comment refer to me? No zionism, hatred or racism at all on any level in my statement. Merely fact based pragmatism. Would you care to elaborate on your statement? Ah well...

Vic October 21, 2007 9:41 am (Pacific time)

Racism and hatred is alive and well in the Zionist sector....Ah well.....

Neal Feldman October 21, 2007 6:20 am (Pacific time)

I am all for supporting LEGAL immigrants. As for illegals I support them and their families as much as I support other criminals and their families such as murderers, rapists, robbers and thieves. All hardships illegals suffer they brought upon themselves. And we need not deport them, we can get rid of them like we would get rid of any vermin... make their environment toxic enough to them they will leave on their own. Look at how illegals are fleeing Oklahoma in droves. Severely penalize employers who hire and landlords who rent/sell to illegals, severely penalize banks etc who offer the illegals credit, deny any and all social servuces other than emergency services to illegals (and even in the ER illegals who get served would have a separate line with one nurse practitioner overseen by an intern... those here legally should not have to wait hours behind the throng of illegals in the ER. (also having someone walk through the ER occasionally wearing a jacket with INS/ICE/Border Patrol badges is not a bad idea as it clears the ER quickly.) Do away with the policies that promote 'anchor babies'. Yes those born in the US under the 14th amendment are citizens but that does not mean the illegal parent(s), extended family, etc get to stay. Either the illegal parents place the legal baby in the Us with legal guardians who are here legally or they take the kid home with them and when 18 the id can enter the US as a citizen. I'm not for breaking up families but it is the choices of the illegals getting that outcome, not those like me who favor impartial and fair enforcement of the law. This is a nation guided by the rule f law or it is not. Isn't it? Ah well...

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