Our great nation cannot turn its back on those in need

In Reg Henry's May 3 column ("O, Say, Can We Stop the 'Fierce Combat'?"), he notes one important fact that is often overlooked by opponents of comprehensive immigration reform: Many of these immigrants are risking their lives for the sole purpose of providing for their families. If placed in a similar position, I think that many of us would do the same.

I fully agree that it is vital to protect our borders and that having a "subculture" of illegal immigrants is good neither for America nor for the immigrants. Rather than to deport and criminalize these undocumented workers, however, we need to reform our current system and create effective, safe and, most importantly, humane immigration laws for our country. We are a nation of immigrants, so to turn our backs on our brothers and sisters rather than to try to help them is shameful. These "newly huddled masses" have much to offer to America.

Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are rights we all hold dear. I believe that, in accord with its noble heritage, the best America can do is to find a way to allow these hard-working immigrants to start a path to citizenship and to reunite their divided families. Let's hope our representatives in Washington feel the same.

MEGAN VARGO
Diocese of Pittsburgh
Department for Social Advocacy and Convening
Downtown

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No to lawbreakers

The May 2 front-page story on the rallies demanding amnesty for people who illegally entered our country ("Immigrants Flex Muscles") incorrectly referred to the events as "immigrant rights" protests, but this crafty choice of words blatantly distorts the truth and exposes your liberal bias.

Calling these people immigrants is like calling shoplifters "shoppers." The difference, of course, is shoplifters take things that aren't theirs while shoppers obey the law. Similarly, immigrants come to America and obey our laws, while the illegal aliens who snuck into America are now trying to take the rights of U.S. citizenship that don't belong to them.

I don't blame the poor people who risked everything and chose to migrate here to find better living conditions for themselves and their families, as my own family did more than a century ago (legally). Full blame for the current fiasco belongs to -- surprise -- decades of spineless politicians who have left our borders unprotected and who tacitly allow corporations to hire cheap, illegal workers.

I blame Washington politics for not placing military bases on the borders where we are most vulnerable, and instead putting them in borderless states like North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Oklahoma, where they provide lots of votes for re-election.

I also blame the corrupt Mexican government. Its greed has plundered that country's resources and shackled its citizens with severe poverty.

Closing our borders by relocating 500,000 federal and state troops there to establish military bases and sending business owners who hire illegal aliens to jail are the only long-term fixes that make sense and that won't legitimize millions of lawbreakers.

TOM HAYSON
Franklin Park

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Better work quality

Philip Geisler wrote that the cleaning staff jobs in his gym are no longer held by American citizens ("Corporate Chess," May 6 letters).

He went on to say, "Did the American citizens suddenly have a disdain for their jobs and hand them over to the Mexicans? Of course not. Even if that's what a lot of politicians wanted you to believe, the American citizens were forced out by cheap labor."

I belong to that same gym. Over the last 10 years that I have been a member the place was always dirty and the locker rooms filthy. What Mr. Geisler does not mention is how all the members now comment that the place is extremely clean for the first time.

Maybe dollars had nothing to do with it. Maybe the American citizens were all let go because their work ethic has declined, with the quality of their work unacceptable, and in its frustration, management decided to try something different.

STEPHAN J. PERHACS
Dormont

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Buses bring business

I hope the Fifth Avenue developer and everyone involved with the project will read, mark and inwardly digest your editorial in favor of keeping the buses in the corridor ("The Bus Stops Here: City Developers Should Make Transit Their Friend," May 6). Sounds like the developer doesn't understand cities.

Every big city has buses on its main streets -- New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle. It's how people get there to spend money. I hope the developer listens.

BILL MINKLER
Bethel Park

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Ugly politics

The comments by a vice president for a Washington County developer, Lucas Piatt of Millcraft Industries, confirmed my suspicions about the real motivation driving Downtown development efforts, the all-too-familiar politics of race and class ("5th Avenue Developer Asks for Bus Rerouting," May 2).

Millcraft Industries claims the major Downtown problem is "heavy congestion, exhaust fumes and loitering." If congestion and fumes are the problem, increasing bus usage is a solution. Ever breathe fumes in an enclosed parking lot, Mr. Piatt? It sure smells worse than a bus. And every bus on Downtown streets removes automobiles, doing more to decrease traffic congestion than any other solution. Clearly, congestion and pollution are not the real concerns.

That leaves us with "loitering" caused by buses. Ah, so the real problem is bus riders (nearly 50 percent of Downtown workers) and not the buses themselves. As a group, are we too poor and dark for the newest wave of Downtown gentrifiers?

The politics of race and class has led to Pittsburgh being one of the most segregated cities in America. This latest attack on residents, along with police brutality and out-of-control gentrification in the East End, are reasons I am embarrassed to identify myself as a Pittsburgh resident.

Now exposed, the real development agenda is to market the city as a risk-free urban playground for upscale whites. If this agenda comes to fruition, many of us will no longer be able to call Pittsburgh our home and remain people of conscience.

TIM VINING
Bloomfield

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Nicely done

I would like to thank Ryan Haggerty for the beautiful article that appeared in the Post-Gazette on April 16 concerning my uncle, Staff Sgt. William Lowery, a member of the U.S. Army Air Force, whose plane crashed on April 16, 1944, in Papua New Guinea ("Flier Lost No More: Six Decades After His B-24 Went Down, Serviceman's Family Will Lay Him to Rest").

I was 10 years old when this happened, and I can remember how upset my father and the rest of the family were. Everyone had hope, but as time went on, we all seemed to accept the fact that he was dead and would never come home. In 2001 wreckage was found in a remote jungle area, and after DNA testing, it was declared that this was indeed the plane that my uncle was on.

On April 20 of this year, there was a gathering in Arlington, Va., of family members of all the crew members who had been declared dead years ago. Family members recalled memories of each of the crew and how their death had affected their families.

On April 21 the remains of these brave men who gave their lives for their country were laid to rest with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery. It was a very emotional time, and one that I will never forget. Uncle Willie is back home.

FLORENCE LOWERY GILCHRIST
North Huntingdon

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For the sake of all

Health is not a commodity like a car or a refrigerator that can be "regulated by the marketplace." One cannot choose not to be a diabetic or not to have cancer, as one can decide to make do with the old car or refrigerator. The United States needs a single-payer universal health-care system. It is the only smart/cost-effective way to go.

CARYL BEAL
Mt. Lebanon

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Send a message by removing all incumbents

It's payback time for our legislators in Harrisburg. Show them that the voters do have a long attention span. Vote all incumbents out of office with no exception.

If they don't have anyone running against them, don't vote for them at all. Let's not fall for the pittance they want to give their constituents now. It's too little, too late.

Rep. Mike Veon in Beaver County took the pay raise, never gave it back and was arrogant, too.

Vote out the incumbents. We now have the power to get all of them out of office and take control of our government again.

JOAN HUDACEK
Bridgeville

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