Coming to America...
Posted on 03/22/2010 9:29:41 AM PDT by greatplains
A south Omaha Catholic church overflowed Sunday with 600 people calling for an overhaul of immigration laws.
Across town, 100 people at a United Methodist chapel heard personal stories from immigrants hoping that Congress will create a path to legalization.
The local events coincided with a national march in Washington, D.C. -- attended by more than 30 Nebraskans -- that was intended to inject life into the stalled immigration debate.
The ultimate goal: to nudge Congress to revamp the country's immigration system, including finding an avenue for undocumented immigrants to gain legal status.
A south Omaha Catholic church overflowed Sunday with 600 people calling for an overhaul of immigration laws.
Across town, 100 people at a United Methodist chapel heard personal stories from immigrants hoping that Congress will create a path to legalization.
The local events coincided with a national march in Washington, D.C. -- attended by more than 30 Nebraskans -- that was intended to inject life into the stalled immigration debate.
The ultimate goal: to nudge Congress to revamp the country's immigration system, including finding an avenue for undocumented immigrants to gain legal status.
Luis Marcos stood before the group inside the Mead Chapel at Omaha's First United Methodist Church to tell his story.
He left Guatemala for the United States at age 17 to join family members who already had made the trek north. Now he works as a phlebotomist.
Drawing people's blood for a living has taught him a lesson about humanity, Marcos said.
“It's red, and it's nice and warm,” Marcos said. “No matter who you are.”
The Rev. Neal Wilkinson said the rallies were designed in part to reinforce the notion that the United States was a country founded by and for immigrants.
“This is so long overdue,” he said of immigration legislation. “We all have to remember where we came from.”
At Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, an estimated 600 crammed into pews and aisles for a Mass followed by speeches in support of immigrant rights, said co-organizer Abbie Kretz of the Heartland Workers Center.
Symbolic gifts were brought to the altar with the bread and wine.
An old shoe symbolized those who crossed the desert into the United States, a white cross for those who died trying to make the journey, handcuffs for those who have been jailed for not having papers, a hard hat and a hammer for the work of immigrants and their dignity as human beings, a book for young people and the future, and roses for the Virgin Mary in a petition for her prayer as a mother.
The speakers stressed hope.
The Rev. Jose Mendoza, administrator at the church, compared today's Latino immigrants to the Israelites in the time of Moses.
“God helped them into the promised land,” Mendoza said during his homily, just as “God gave a new land” to today's immigrants. The Latinos also are looking to God for liberty, he said.
A junior in high school told her personal story to the congregation.
The 17-year-old said she arrived from Mexico 10 years ago on Christmas Eve. She said she remembered how sad her mother was because she had no gifts for her children.
The teenager said she faces an uncertain future, with no documents to work in the U.S. and with few scholarships available because she is not a citizen. But she is hopeful, she said.
Conchita Hernandez, a student at the Nebraska Center for the Blind, was among the Nebraskans who traveled by bus and plane to get to the march in Washington. She was joined by representatives of agencies including the Nebraska Appleseed Center and the League of Nebraska Municipalities.
“It was really inspiring to see all those people coming together for the common cause,” Hernandez said.
Authorities in Washington didn't provide crowd estimates, but the mall was full of people for blocks.
People held signs with slogans such as, “You need us as much as we need you,'' and “No Human Being Is Illegal.''
Many waved American flags, and a few also carried the banners of their countries of origin.
Once an illegal immigrant herself, Hernandez, 24, said Sunday was her first march for immigration legislation. Earlier this year she spoke before Nebraska lawmakers in favor of keeping the in-state tuition law and has made it a personal mission to help swing the pendulum in favor of creating a path to legalization.
While in Washington, she said, she met many young people who are successful students but can't continue a college education or find a professional career path because of their illegal status.
Robert Dorton, an immigration attorney for Lutheran Family Services, also attended the six-hour event that featured a taped promise for change from President Barack Obama.
Dorton said Sunday's nationwide activities gave him hope that Congress will stop their stall and actually consider a change in immigration laws.
“I sense a softening of people's attitudes,” said Dorton. “People are starting to look at this as a practical issue. I think people are ready to move forward.”
He and other Nebraskans are scheduled to meet Monday with Nebraska's congressional delegation. The meeting is intended to “put a face” on the illegal immigration issue, Dorton said. People from all walks of life students, professionals, religious leaders will offer their pitch to the politicians, he said.
Also this weekend, about 300 people from four religious congregations marched through downtown Grand Island, Neb., to draw attention to the call for immigration legislation.
“It was a success,” coordinator Felipe Cruz said of the Saturday interfaith event. “Three hundred is a good number, especially with the type of weather we had.”
In Grand Island and elsewhere, coordinators urged participants to fill out postcards written by the U.S. Catholic Conference of Catholic Bishops that support changes in the immigration system.
Out the door and to the back of the line and come in legally. My husband came legally, and is now a naturalized citizen. There is already a path.
More than ever, I seriously doubt there will be elections this November.
And if there are elections, there will 20+ million new Rat voters, courtesy of “Immigration Reform”.
Last one to leave, can you shut off the CFL?
did the Catholic Church make a deal with the Devil here? Soft pedal your Pro Life opposition to Obamacare until we essentially have the votes, in exchange for legalizing millions of largely Catholic Latinos??
As a one-time Catholic, I guess I shouldn’t be shocked that the church has gone away from the teachings of Jesus to support abortion, euthanasia and a total disregard for the law.
Coming to America...
True. We already have it! Use it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Excessive spending. Increasing debt. Obamacare. Now this!
The Dems must really think the American people are a complacent lot and will not react.
My husband came legally, and is now a naturalized citizen. There is already a path.
And I am sure your husband also spent thousands of dollars in fees and attorney bills, as well as untold hours filling out forms and engaging in mind-numbing conversations with bureaucrats. Plus I am sure he did not actually enter the country until they gave him the OK.
Amnesty is so totally unfair to people like your husband.
The Catholic Church (at least this one) has an ulterior motive. Their parishoners, while illegal, regularly GIVE money to the church. Money, greed, money, greed - let’s throw in a little perversion, too while we’re at it..
In fairness, it looks like the local Methodist church was in on this as well.
The health crap was the tipping point.
Just pass the immigration stuff and wait for the war.
It will come.
More than ever, I seriously doubt there will be elections this November.
Rush Limbaugh just said, twice, to a mainstream national audience, that he now believes this is a real possibility
its not fair!
that these people will appeal to americans sense of fairplay to get aid in repeatedly breaking the law.
I have been in America for 10 years on a Visa with no path to residency in sight, but Im not complaining because it is the LAW that I signed on when I entered. In all probability, these 15 million will coast by right past me.
Pandering to emotion should be unacceptable.
It’s time to start taxing churches, especially the Catholic Church. They are on the forefront of pushing amnesty.
Wow! Not 24 hours have passed since they passed the monstrosity, and the media is already greasing the way for Obama’s next outrage. That was fast guys!
Well so far they would be right.
They’re going to shove amnesty down your throats, just like Bush wanted.
Bet the rent.
What I have never understood, though, is WHY do the republicans want it?
Listen, our corrupt government does not want a well educated population that will question their every move...That's why they started dumbing down the population 40 or so years ago....
Look, none of this was a mistake....Including aiding and abetting millions flooding into this country illegally...These people vote for the hand outs/socialism...lol.
For the most part, the Republicans and Democrats are all riding in the back of the same limo. Most of them are corrupt liars and cheats, out for themselves.
They have proved this over and over and over.
I heard it. I guess I can put the tinfoil hat away now.
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