'Immigration Reform Will Benefit St. Louis' — LCMS Rev. Bart Day Writes at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
At this critical moment for immigration reform, I'm heartened that strong voices continue to speak up on our nation's editorial pages. Today, I'd like to share a powerful op-ed by Rev. Bart Day.
Rev. Day is Executive Director of the Office of National Mission for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and a member of our board of directors.
In his August 20 piece for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Immigration Reform Will Benefit St. Louis," Rev. Day writes:
Here in St. Louis, we have a lot to gain from immigration reform, and a lot to lose from keeping the broken, harmful system that exists.
Serving as a pastor around this country, I have seen first-hand the human cost of the current system. I've met mothers and fathers who risked everything to work in the United States so that their children or families back home could have a brighter future or even just make ends meet. I've been troubled by how our broken system assaults the unity of many such families through an over-reliance on detention and record-high numbers of deportations.
We need to do better, and not just because that would be in line with America's commitment to fairness and our faith's value of family unity. We need it because fair immigration will be good for everyone, and it's critical that the House of Representatives deliver a solid reform bill this summer.
He wraps up the piece with this powerful call to action:
[F]air immigration will make all of us stronger, at the local, state, and national levels. Fair immigration will ensure that people can come out of the shadows and fully participate in their civic responsibilities. Fair immigration will assure that proper boundaries are established to protect and strengthen us. Fair immigration will support the economy in direct ways. Fair immigration can help everyone secure what we want for ourselves and our kids: a safe and bright future.
We need to ask our elected representatives to deliver a comprehensive immigration reform bill right away. I believe they will listen if we, the people, raise our voices with enough vigor and reason to put fair immigration at the top of their agenda.
To read the entire op-ed, please click the link in the headline above. You can show your support by Liking and Sharing this piece via Facebook and other social media, and by sending the link to your friends, colleagues, and family members. It's critical that we share Rev. Day's words, and these are some of the most effective channels.
Op-eds such as this one have an important role in swaying the opinions of our elected officials and their staff. I'm thankful for Rev. Day's leadership on immigration and refugee issues as embodied in this piece, and on many other fronts. I'm also grateful to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for keeping their readers well-informed.
After reading this op-ed, if you feel inspired, now is the time to raise your own voice for fair and compassionate immigration reform via the LIRS Action Center. Also, please don't forget to sign up to receive alerts from this blog, and check out our new Immigration Reform Mythbuster.
Once again, thank you for all that you do to Stand for Welcome!