Letters to the editor: Voice your support for St. Maria Goretti

Take a good look at Donald Trump's history

To the editor:

People should take a good look at the history of Donald Trump.

His actions over the years show clearly that the only thing he cares about is Donald Trump.

James Griffin

Waynesboro, Pa.

We need to provide resources for asylum-seekers at the local level

To the editor:

I am a volunteer with the Refugee Welcome Network, under the auspices of the Hagerstown Area Religious Council. Our group of some 25 people — many but not all affiliated with religious institutions — try to make it easier for refugees, that is, people fleeing from violence (and often personal death threats) in their own country, to settle in Washington County.

Some of our clients (though of course there is no charge to them) are documented, some are not. We work to find them housing, home furnishings, food, clothing, school for their children, health care, education, employment and English language instruction, as well as help them with their applications for legal status.

Yes, we need more volunteers, and definitely more charitable donations. What is also needed is local, county, state and federal governments' commitment to persons who are asylum-seekers.

Currently, most government-funded programs are for refugees/immigrants who are documented, thus leaving many of our fellow human beings in jeopardy as they wait for that elusive and lengthy "path to citizenship." Telling someone to go back where you came from or shipping them off to another locale like just so much cargo is neither humane nor realistic.

We need to provide resources for asylum-seekers at the local level. At the very least, we need to provide them with a way to legally work — which they all want to do — and not force them to wait five months (applications for work permits can be made only 130 days after the asylum application has been received).

While we may, in fact, need to temper immigration at our borders, the American way is to welcome foreigners (remember your grandparents?), not inflict more pain and stress on them by forbidding them to work. Canada does both: limits entry, but provides all who do enter with housing and a work permit.

Refugees have special needs because they have been traumatized three times: by the violence in their country, by the extremely difficult and hazardous journey they endured to come here and then by the culture shock they experience here without money, language or family. And then, we impose still a fourth trauma — not having stable housing or income while they're here, for months on end.

Thus, I call on our elected officials to recognize the shared humanity of asylum-seekers, and help us help them establish new, productive, safe and secure lives for themselves and their families in Washington County.

Paulette Lee

Hagerstown

Lloyd Waters is right about not interfering in other people's lives

To the editor:

Thank you for publishing Lloyd Waters’ column. It’s time to stop interfering in other people’s strictly personal decisions. Some day you also may be so sick and helpless, and you will choose to die with dignity.

Same with abortion; no one is asking you to have one, and frankly, it’s none of your business if I decide I must choose that path.

Perhaps those who want more babies to be born should be required to share the cost of raising them. And those insisting people be kept alive until the last possible moment should be required to help care for them. If that were the law, I doubt there would be much opposition to abortion or assisted suicide.

Barbara Pengelly

Williamsport

Rowland is just wrong about Trump wanting to be a dictator

To the editor:

Regarding Tim Rowland's article in the Sunday paper dated Feb. 25, 2024, here we go again with Rowland accusing Trump of being a dictator. When will these lies ever end?

Trump has every intention of being a president of the United States for one term. Trump's association with Putin is an outright lie.

If Putin would support anyone it would be a frail, old and mentally incompetent Biden who is a total failure on the world stage.

If Biden stays in power, the Ukraine war will go on forever, which plays into Putin's plan, and he already has an American stooge in Biden.

Americans need new leadership, which is evident in what is happening in the primaries. Let the people speak instead of people like Rowland suppressing the truth.

Martha Sullivan

Hagerstown

Voice your support for St. Maria Goretti

To the editor:

Coaches of St. Maria Goretti Catholic High School over a great many years have built a wonderful sports legacy at Goretti. I am told that many of the athletes have gone on to Division I and Division II schools.

That history is scheduled to close forever based on current plans. Do you care? A meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 19, on an effort to reverse this decision.

A plan to address the enrollment decline and to deal with the subsequent financial difficulties will be outlined. Maria Spinnler is arranging the time and place for the meeting. If you wish to be part of the effort to keep Goretti open, contact Maria for details at mpspinnler@gmail.com.

Len Lindenmeyer

len.lindy62@gmail.com

Hagerstown

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Here is the latest sampling of opinions from Herald-Mail readers.