Man + Woman = Marriage

I WOULD like to make a few comments on the love and marriage issues expressed in the letters of Mr. Joseph Fanning and myself that have been published in the Irish Voice over the last couple of weeks.

I am very aware of the many varieties of that elusive thing called love. We see it in father to son, mother to daughter, brother to brother, sister to sister, girl friend to girl friend, man friend to man friend, people to their pets, people in love with poetry, scenic views — it is endless.

Yes, there is a thread of similarity across these various loves, but the similarity revealed does not add up or constitute a sameness.

The love between a man and a woman is intrinsically and qualitatively different from all other love unions, especially when it is a sacramentalized union. Further differentiating this union is the fact that it has the singular purpose of procreation.

Just as the mathematical equation of two plus two creates the immutable reality of four, so too does the sacramentalized love union of a man and a woman create an immutable reality different from all other love unions and which is described with the word marriage.

To attribute the word marriage to any other love union is not only bad logic, but it is a distortion of the word’s inner meaning and hence the reality itself.

Mr. Fanning suggested a certain book and website I should read to get enlightened on this matter. As a practicing Catholic, I always go to Holy Mother Church, which has the truth and has been around for over 2000 years, to get informed on these important matters.

What is at stake here is objective truth and not merely differences of conflicting opinions.

John Rogers
Voorhees, New Jersey

Count the Numbers

IT’S ironic that on the back page of a recent issue of the Irish Voice, an ad from the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform said that Ronald Reagan and John Kennedy’s ancestors could not come legally to the U.S. today.

Ironic that brother Ted Kennedy was the floor leader in 1965 who passed that immigration law. The nations who built this country were put at the back of the line.

One of the strongest supporters of the 1965 act, Emanuel Celler, who co-sponsored the Hart-Celler bill, was astonished at the “unintentional discrimination” law he had co-sponsored. He tried unsuccessfully to increase special visas for Western Europe. Thank you, Senator Ted.

Has anyone mentioned that if 10-15 million undocumented are legalized, they can petition to bring their wives, kids and parents to the U.S.? Just remember that in 1950 the population of the U.S. was 150 million; today, just over 50 years later, it is near 300 million.

What will it be in 2050, or 3000? Does one billion sound unreasonable?

What kind of environment, standard of living and quality of life will we be leaving on our kids and grandkids? Think of the traffic problems we have now with energy, blackouts and traffic congestion.

Think of the traffic now at the George Washington Bridge and the Tappan Zee. What is it gong to be like in 2050 and beyond?

If America cannot control legal and illegal immigration we are going to be doomed as a nation. Every 20 years since 1965 we have tried immigration reform and it has only gotten worse. Let’s get it right this time, or we are doomed.

Mike Madden
Yonkers, New York

Wrong About King

THE Irish Voice was wrong in claiming that Congressman Peter King “declined to meet with Sinn Fein MP Pat Doherty” in last week’s issue.

Pat Doherty and I were due into the U.S. on Tuesday evening, June 27. Because our visas were delayed, we did not arrive until Wednesday evening. We therefore could not make our scheduled meeting at noon on Wednesday with Peter King.

Instead, Sinn Fein TD Sean Crowe, who was in D.C., was offered the noon slot on Wednesday for a meeting with Congressman King. Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) representatives, however, told Crowe that the meeting was not until 1 p.m. Confusion resulted, and Crowe and King did not meet on the Wednesday.

King then offered Doherty a meeting on Thursday, but due to restraints on scheduling for both it could not take place — Doherty had to travel back to New York on Thursday for a previously scheduled meeting.

Rita O’Hare
Sinn Fein Representative to the U.S.
Washington, D.C.

NIall O’Dowd responds:’ ILIR stands by its belief that the King meeting was schedule d for 1.p.m. We also understood that King and Doherty were set to meet the next day. On at least one other occasion Peter King has refused to meet Irish lobbyists after originally agreeing to do so.

Race for the Truth

IT is great to see that the British are cleaning up the horse racing corruption at long last. One jockey who is not allowed to ride in Britain while the investigation is going on is Irish jockey Kieren Fallon.

The London police are not just looking into one race where Fallon looked so guilty, but a total of 80 races involving many jockeys over a two-year period. The one disgusting race that the general public are all aware of is one in which Fallon was many lengths clear of the field with a furlong to go, and he appeared to ease his horse to a crawl as the horses approached the finish line. His mount finished second.

Many Fallon supporters who lost money on him that day probably figured that horses are entitled to have an off day too. Racing experts know that if a horse is not feeling well he will run lethargically and not blow the field away before being eased off by his jockey.

Fallon, the six time British champion jockey has a lot of explaining to do about a lot of races. If he can’t produce a crystal ball that works he is in a lot of trouble.

Francis Geraghty
Bergenfield, New Jersey

Speak Out Now

I HAD a dream/nightmare. It was about the six counties. It was about hate speech, bigotry and violence.

It was about the power and ignorance of the Orange bigots.

They came for Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein was denounced as criminal and guilty without proof.

I did not speak out. I was not a Shinner.

They came for the Republicans. The Republicans were accused as dangerous, radical reactionaries. I did not speak out. I was not a Republican.

They then came for the Irish Nationalists, those who wanted to be Irish citizens, not the subjects of Orange bigots.Again, I did not speak out. I was not political.

They came again, this time for the Irish Catholics. They fire bombed homes, schools and churches. They killed Catholic civil and human rights leaders Rosemary Nelson and Pat Finucane.

Although a Roman Catholic, again I did not speak out.

In my dream I was ashamed by my silence. I was castrated not by fear, but by indifference.

I wanted to do something but it was too late. Orange marchers passed my house. They banged on my door.

I opened the door ready to take a stand. They told me not to worry. They considered me timid and harmless.

Thank God I woke up and I knew there was something we, “ourselves together,” could do. Speak out! Speak out now!

Hal Cousins
Del City, Oklahoma