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Matters of Personal Security
Governor Eliot Spitzer has issued a directive to the State Department of Motor Vehicles approving a proposal to extend driver’s licenses to all people who can prove their identity and their ability to operate a motor vehicle, without placing their immigration status as a pre-condition to the safe operation of a motor vehicle.
At this time, when the continued failure of our federal legislators to bring about real immigration legislative reform has reached an all-time shameful record, it is good to see that, at least in New York State, rational minds have been at work.
This is a major step in the right direction and will provide for the security of us all.
The issue of immigration is a tough one for a lot of us to understand. We react more out of emotion than considering the issue at hand in a rational manner. We ask for a rational consideration on this proposal.
The New York State bishops rightfully have backed Gov. Spitzer’s proposal. (See news story.) Our own Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, who is internationally regarded as an expert in immigration policy, has written about it in this week’s edition. (See column.) He also issued the following statement of support, to which we add our endorsement:
“This decision recognizes the simple fact that it is an enhancement of our own security to actually be able to prove who people are, and where they live, and to have people driving on our streets with the proper authorization and insurance. It addresses the fact that, even for the state’s own economic reasons, giving people the ability to work in jobs which require driving, ultimately will benefit everyone.
“Unfortunately, the previous denial of licenses to some immigrants only guaranteed that unlicensed people would be driving their children to school, driving vehicles for work and driving more people into the shadows than ever before. Many people could not even apply for much-needed jobs simply because they couldn’t obtain a proper license. It was another example of good people having to deal with bad laws.
“However, the usual anti-immigrant rhetoric has begun, making the pointless argument that officially knowing who is here and where people live somehow will be more beneficial to our national security. The governor has included new measures to validate identity documents which will need to be presented, and has enabled hundreds of thousands of additional residents of our state to be entered into the databank of our law enforcement agencies.
“The Church continues to call on our legislators at the federal level to enact laws which will truly protect our citizens, while balancing, at the same time, the issues of economic justice and human dignity of every person.”
Anti-Catholicism Brewing
For those who think that anti-Catholicism is a figment of the imagination, consider the publicity campaign that went along with the recent Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco.
At the fair, participants dressed as nuns to ridicule the women who have given selflessly of their lives in service to the dispossessed. Then there was a female stripper who was hoisted in a cage over a Roman Catholic church. The Folsom Street Fair is one of four annual “fetish events” in San Francisco produced by Folsom Street Events to support local charities serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities.
Oh yes, lest we forget, its poster mimics Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” with a sadomasochistic theme.
And it was all brought to you by the Miller Brewing Co. which markets itself in recent TV advertisements as the brewers of the common man. You’ve probably seen the ads which boast that any restaurant serving $12 hamburgers is too rich for the Miller Beer patron.
The company now says it is reviewing its promotions policy after Christian groups expressed outrage over the anti-Christian themes of the fair’s publicity.
The company, whose logo was on the poster, said in a statement posted on its website Oct. 1: “We are conducting an immediate audit of our procedures for approving local marketing and sales sponsorships to ensure that this does not happen again.
“We regret that our failure to adhere to our own policy led to an inappropriate use of our trademark and apologize to anyone who was offended as a result, particularly members of the Christian community who have contacted us to express their concern,” the Milwaukee-based brewing giant said.
The most recent press release from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights on this topic is even more hopeful because SAB Miller PLC and Molson Coors Brewing Co. are planning to combine operations by the end of the year. Hopefully, the merger will purge the loose ends within Miller.
League president William Donohue says that he is now taking his plea for more circumspect policy about sponsorships to the Molson and Coors folks. “It’s hard to imagine the Coors family, with its stellar reputation, as well as the Molsons, a distinguished Canadian family, wanting to support public displays of religious bigotry and sodomy. That is why we are asking them to carefully examine Miller’s promotional policies and pledge that sponsorship of these kinds of morally indefensible events will never happen again.”
To which we add, a big “Amen!”
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