To the editor:

On Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019, and article was printed in The Journal on page 4A. It was entitled, “A criminal, an immigrant and a wall.” I know this is an opinion page, but some of the information in the letter would be difficult to substantiate. Like the information that St. Joseph had six children from a previous relationship. The writer of that article must read a different bible than most of us.

Then again, it doesn’t really have any relevance about the person of St. Joseph. He was chosen by God, to be the foster father of His Son, “Jesus Christ.” A young maiden, by the name of Mary, was greeted by an Angel and asked to be Jesus’s mother. Upon saying, “Yes!” Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit, her spiritual spouse.

I’m not sure how this relates to the wall at the southern border, between the United States and Mexico, but the story continues.

King Herod heard that a new “king” was born, so he immediately set out to kill all the newly born, boy babies. While still living in Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and advised him to flee to Egypt for safety. In the year 4 A.D., Kind Herod died. Joseph then took Jesus and Mary back to Nazareth, their native land, in Israel, to live out their lives.

REcently, caravans of thousand upon thousands of immigrants have been entering our southern border illegally. Among them are human traffickers, drug dealers, rapists, child smugglers, terrorists and freeloaders. It has created a “crisis” at the border.

Whereas, Jesus, Mary and Joseph were “not” traveling to a foreign land as criminals. An angel, sent by God, would “not” have advised Joseph to commit an illegal act.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph were not human traffickers or drug dealers.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph were not rapists.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph were not child smugglers.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph were not terrorists.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph were not freeloaders.

You can be sure, Joseph worked tas a carpenter and supported his family during their stay in Egypt.

The United States is a country of laws and borders. Just as “our” ancestors came to seek a new-life as immigrants, they had to follow the ruled to become legal citizens of this country. We applaud them!

If the immigrants come through the proper “Ports of Entry,” and they follow the laws of our country, they will earn their citizenship! But if they don’t, there will be consequences! They “shall not” enter the United States and become citizens.

The immigration system has been insufficiently handled for decades. It is in desperated need of revision. We should be taking the advice of border security agents, who deal with the “crisis” every day.

Consider the billions of dollars we have been spending to house the illegal immigrants in santuary cities, for food, clothing, medical care, education, etc. Some have even voted illegally! There is no price you can put on the loss on human lives, killed by illegal aliens, whether it be shooting or dying from opiods.

We all wish to someday enter through “The Pearly Gates” in the Kingdom of Heaven. So if there are gates in Heaven, there must also be a “Wall!”. . . Translation . . . God’s 10 Commandments! If we son’t follow the laws of God, there will be consequences! And we, “shall not” enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

God is a “Just and Loving God!” We citizens must support our United States to be a “Just and Loving Coutnry!”

Jan Platz

New Ulm