September 27, 2007

Let's discredit Deacon Sam Dunning (Houston day laborer center)

Something called the "Cypress Creek Interfaith Coalition for Economic Development" wants to establish a day laborer site in northwest Houston; their members include the Cypress Creek Christian Church (associate pastor: Franklin Moore) and perhaps the Catholic Church. A public meeting was held last night, and the following clip has Deacon Sam Dunning from the Houston Archdiocese of the Catholic Church (diogh.org/socialjustice_sec_socialjustice.htm) supporting the center and taking questions from the audience. He appears to be quite a piece of work, and I encourage all those in the Houston area to publicly ask him tougher questions based on his statements and designed to discredit him:

In addition to the questions here and here, some possibilities include:

* Are you claiming that Mexicans are "oppressed and persecuted" as the Jews were in Egypt? (Are you serious?)

* "Reform" would mandate enforcement, yet you compare enforcing our current laws to slavery and segregation. Once again, are you serious?

* Can't Mexicans obtain a "good life" in Mexico? Considering that five billion or so people are worse off than Mexicans, what about their chances at a "good life"? Isn't it absurd for you to suggest that the only way for Mexicans to have a "good life" is to come to the U.S.?

* Aren't there huge differences between past immigration and the current variety? Doesn't the Mexican government have a great deal of political power inside the U.S. due to, among other things, politicians and non-profits having links to that government and serving to varying degrees as de facto agents for that government? Doesn't that qualify as, to a certain extent, the Mexican government "colonizing" parts of the U.S.?

11/03/07 UPDATE: The AP offers what's called here "More Illegal Immigrant Women Taking Domestic Jobs":

..."These people can be very, very vulnerable, particularly if they're not documented," said Sam Dunning, who oversees social justice programs for the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. "If there's any dispute over working conditions, they have very little recourse..."

It sounds like Dunning should oppose illegal immigration then. Instead, he supports it.

Posted to Immigration2007b at September 27, 2007 12:25 PM