Pope Francis spent
much of his time in the U.S. speaking on the need to welcome immigrants,
protect the environment and help the poor.
Regarding his speech to Congress, The Huffington Post writes, "In his wide-ranging 3,404-word address ... the pope called for action to protect refugees, eliminate capital punishment and stop war, yet used a mere 21 words to allude to abortion and only 54 to touch vaguely upon the fact that same-sex marriage is now legal across the United States.
Regarding his speech to Congress, The Huffington Post writes, "In his wide-ranging 3,404-word address ... the pope called for action to protect refugees, eliminate capital punishment and stop war, yet used a mere 21 words to allude to abortion and only 54 to touch vaguely upon the fact that same-sex marriage is now legal across the United States.
"On marriage, the pope had a few more words. 'I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life.'"
So why is the pope calling upon the U.S. to accept more immigrants?
According to a 2013 U.N. report, "Trends in International Migrant Stock: The 2013 Revision," immigrants form 14.3 percent of the U.S. population.
They compose no more than 4.8 percent of any other country's population; 19.8 percent of all the world's immigrants reside in the U.S. No other country has accepted more than 4.8 percent of the world's immigrants. The pope's home country, Argentina, has accepted 0.8 percent!
There are 45,785,090 immigrants in the U.S. No other country has accepted more than 11,048,064 immigrants.
And why is the pope telling the U.S we must do more for the poor? Is there any other country that presently does more? In the U.S., we have Social Security and Medicare for the aged. We have Social Security Disability and Medicare or Medicaid for the disabled.
We have the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for the "poor." (A family of one with a maximum annual income of $15,301 is eligible, as is a family of four with a maximum annual income of $31,525.) We provide free K-12 public school education for every American child, and special education for disabled children. We provide unemployment insurance for those who lose their job. HUD helps apartment owners to offer reduced rents to low-income tenants to make affordable apartments available for low-income families, the elderly and persons with disabilities. HUD also provides the Section 8 vouchers to allow those with low incomes to pay for all or part of their rent. And nearly half of those (47 percent) who report income pay no federal income tax!
Is the plight of the "poor" in the U.S. more dire than the plight of the “poor" almost everywhere else in the world? If so, why do we have 45,785,090 immigrants? Why are Mexican and Central American immigrants pouring into this country? And why aren't people leaving the U.S. to live in Mexico, Russia or Ethiopia?
And why is he lecturing America on the need to be good stewards for the environment? Haven't we cleaned up the Great Lakes? Can you recall a time when raw sewage was dumped into our rivers? Don't we now have tertiary treatment? Can you remember driving through Gary, Ind., when smog continually hung over the city? Is that the case now? I can remember when some cars got seven miles to the gallon, and spewed exhaust. By 2016, won't American cars and light trucks have to average 34.5 mpg?
Would America be a better place if we immediately ceased heating and cooling our homes with fossil fuels?
In our courts, once the judge determines the witness to be an "expert,” that witness can give his opinion on the ultimate issue in the case without stating facts that form the basis of that opinion, e.g., "I think Dr. X was guilty of malpractice when he removed Mrs. Y's appendix.” But what good is that opinion without setting out the facts that form the basis of that opinion? "Mrs. Y only wanted him to remove a wart on her big toe!"
So what will be the long-term effect of the pope's words?
When a pope addresses matters that traditionally are within the realm of "faith and morals," it is there that the pope is most authoritative — even for those who reject his infallibility. But when he speaks on quantum physics, absent a showing that he has a background in quantum physics, he lacks credibility. Similarly, his background as a bishop in Argentina in no way qualifies him as an expert on the U.S, our capitalist system or our immigration practices.
Of course, he may be utilizing material prepared for him by experts. But absent a showing of the expertise of his experts, it is entirely reasonable to discount the pope in areas such as biology, physics, chemistry, geology, economics and U.S. history.
Indeed, many of the same people who extol the pope's genius when he speaks on immigration and the environment would label him a "Neanderthal" when he speaks on things on which he should have expertise: abortion, contraception and traditional marriage.
For those reasons, I believe the pope's message will be largely forgotten or ignored within the week. Those who are opposed to "open borders” will remain opposed. Those who believe "God helps able-bodied people who help themselves" will continue in that belief. And those who believe "global warming" to be a scam will conclude the pope is out of his element. Meanwhile, the killing will go on in the Middle East, and in the Planned Parenthood clinics.
Posted: Friday, October 23, 2015 11:00 pm QuadCitiesOnline
