I just finished reading an article about you and a speech you made in the Dec. 20, 2007, edition of The Spectrum and Daily News - again.

As a Catholic, I was very disturbed when I read your comments about illegal aliens. In the article, you are quoted as saying that Joseph and Mary were immigrants. This is stretching the truth at the very least.

When I read the Bible, I learned that Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to participate in a census. That was not immigration. After being warned by an Angel, they fled to Egypt to avoid the murder of their son, Jesus. That wasn't immigration, either. Unless you, personally, or someone in the church has rewritten the New Testament without my knowledge, I don't believe the words of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John have changed.

I don't know how you define words, but to immigrate is defined as a permanent move to another country. Joseph and Mary stayed in Egypt for only a short time and returned to their home to stay and raise their children. Including Jesus.

To compare Joseph, Mary and Jesus with the aliens who deliberately commit an illegal act to enter our country is specious, and demeaning to the Saints and Jesus. They broke no laws and only fled to save the life of their son. They did not stay illegally in Egypt.

Now, I am all for compassion for the weak, infirm, elderly, poor and otherwise beleaguered folks among us. However, I have no sympathy for lawbreakers who compound their sin every day they stay here.

May I suggest that the activism of the church would be better served by decrying the oppression the illegals suffer in their own country. I mean do it there, not here. It is not the fault of the citizens, or the government of the United States, that these unfortunate people are oppressed and impoverished in the countries of their origin. Nor, is it our responsibility to condone illegal acts or to encourage them.

On another note, why don't these people stay in their countries and fight for change? Our antecedents did it here. I would be happy to support people fighting for justice, freedom and human rights in their own countries.

Finally, the people of the United States simply cannot afford to accept 20 million and more illegal aliens and their huge drain on our economy. I am an older, disabled man, and maybe it's a sin, but I resent the fact that I suffer in many ways because my government and other entities are more focused on aid to illegals than they are to myself and millions of other natural born and naturalized citizens.

Garey L. Bearden is a resident of Milford. He is a member of The Spectrum & Daily News Writers Group.