Well, you know what? I'm Italian and Mexican, but I'm an American and I'm Catholic. And on Sundays I am down on my knees praying, but I'm not asking for forgiveness. This is just complete bullshit, and with this county attorney promoting racism like this, I'm going to try to form a group and get him thrown out of office. You know what? No matter how bad the situation gets, we don't need racists running our country. I know there are, but we need to start somewhere, and it will start with him. Next is Mr. Arpaio.
Anthony Ronza
Building a wall: After reading the column about the three off-duty baggage inspectors holding 800 Hispanics at gunpoint in their church, I was thoroughly disgusted with this redneck racist state of Arizona. I can't believe they were not prosecuted. If we don't want the illegal aliens in this country, then why don't we build a fence big enough to keep them out? I know we Americans have enough money to build it, but why don't we? Many of you want to exploit Hispanic workers to help your businesses become more profitable, but when it comes time to take out all of your life's frustrations, these same workers and their families have to suffer. What hypocrisy. I am sure business owners love the cheap wages they pay Hispanic workers, and as many of them quote: "I get twice the work for half of the pay from illegal workers." Americans know Hispanics who come here are desperate for money.
If you lived in a country like Mexico where you couldn't even make enough money to put food on the table for your family, you would be here, too! If you want to complain about how much they drain the system, then make a wall tall enough so they can't climb over it. It is every American's fault for not pushing the government to build that wall. Instead, we let Mexican migrants risk their lives trying to make it across the desert by foot, or crammed into trucks like sardines, unable to use the restroom for hours at a time and barely able to breathe. Then, if they make it here, we hire them for disgustingly low wages and give them no benefits. It's no wonder they use the emergency room as their family doctor. They have no health care. Americans complain that our tax dollars pay for their hospital visits, but we are the ones who let them cross the border.
Now they have to worry about some outraged racist pigs holding them hostage at gunpoint? This is unbelievable behavior, especially attacking them in their place of worship. I can't believe Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas is allowing this. You people carry so much hatred in your heart; why don't you use that energy to build a wall? I thought America was all about diversity and tolerance. Our nation is filled with people from many countries. If we make it more difficult for Hispanics to move here, we wouldn't have such a problem. They would have to go through all of the same legal processes that other people from other countries do.
In the meantime, can we please let the police handle the illegal aliens? Men with guns walking around with nothing better to do than take out their hostilities on people who are worshiping in church. I seriously doubt they found any marijuana in church! The drugs that are killing Americans are cocaine, crack and heroin. Why don't we focus on bringing down the white people who are making and distributing the drugs that actually kill? Mexicans are not involved much with these more dangerous drugs. I can guarantee the people who are smuggling marijuana across the border from Mexico are legal, or else how would they make it across the border? I don't think they are carrying it with them while they run across!
If these men who are holding Hispanics hostage want to have the power of the law, then why don't they join the police force or go to war in Iraq where we really need them? In the meantime, stop complaining about a problem America has created by allowing them easy access to crossing the border.
Anonymous, via the Internet
Sheik, sheik, sheik . . . : I found out the other day that your essay really upset one of my co-workers. He wasn't upset at you for writing it, he was upset about the horrible injustice done to the congregation of Immaculate Heart.
I was interminably amused by his inability to recognize satire.
Of course, the reaction of some people who defended Patrick Haab does make you wonder if there aren't those who would try to hold a church at gunpoint. I grew up thinking that authorities demanding to see your "papers" was something that only happened behind the Iron Curtain or in Nazi Germany, and we now have people in the United States who are suddenly in favor of anyone being able to demand that you produce your "papers" or be held at gunpoint until police arrive.
Keep up the good work, and I appreciated seeing "Sheik Yer Bouti" getting some press. I haven't heard much from him since the late Frank Zappa's tribute album to him.
Danny Wright, Glendale
