Why does Mahony side with the lawbreakers?

Re “Mass Draws on ‘Justice for Immigrants’ Program,” April 6

As a Roman Catholic, words cannot express my outrage at Cardinal Roger M. Mahony’s very public stance on illegal immigration. There are serious moral issues facing our nation that deserve the cardinal’s attention but barely a press release from the chancery. Still, the estimated 12 million people who break the law and squat at the public benefits trough get Masses and photo ops.

Yes, all immigrants, illegal or not, deserve basic human rights and are indeed children of God. Yet not even the most heated rhetoric of the far right hints at denying immigrants these rights.

Whether illegal immigrants should have driver’s licenses really isn’t a serious moral issue; whether an unborn human being is allowed the ability to be born certainly is. Get with the program, Cardinal.

THOMAS ROBERTSON

Pasadena

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I am 60 and have been a Catholic all my life. I quit giving money to the church more than 10 years ago because it flouts the laws regarding illegal immigration, and I got sick of it. Mahony’s opponents won’t crucify him, but maybe they’ll do something even better: withhold charity dollars. That ought to catch his attention.

KATHLEEN BEAULIEU

Portland, Ore.

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Re “Senate Takes New Tack on Immigration,” April 6

This article fell short of addressing the key differences in the bills you sought to compare. You mention enforcement. That’s what matters most. All the rest of the issues are immaterial if we don’t have control of the border.

Most articles and radio and TV discussions about immigration don’t want to talk about enforcement either. It’s a lot more fun to talk about all the rest of it.

If we’re going to solve the problem, we must face the hard cold fact that it won’t happen without enforcement before all else.

REY P. HARJU

Fullerton