Catholic leaders, including prominent archbishops and a group of sisters, are condemning President Trump’s derogatory description of African countries and calling on the U.S. government to take steps to protect migrants.
A group of more than 2,900 Catholic sisters said they find it “appalling” that the president used “vulgar and offensive language to describe Haiti, El Salvador and countries in Africa.”
“Sisters of Mercy are present in many of the countries President Trump categorized as ‘shitholes,’” the sisters said in a statement. “We welcome immigrants and refugees from these countries in our schools, churches, healthcare institutions and other ministries. We take offense to this description of these lands and of their thoughtful, loving and passionate people. No home of our brothers and sisters, not coincidentally here our brothers and sisters of color, should be dismissed in this manner by the leader of our country.”
“As a vigorous debate continues over the future of immigration, we must always be sure to avoid language that can dehumanize our brothers and sisters.”
Mr. Trump’s comments came during an Oval Office meeting on Thursday when he questioned why the United States should accept more immigrants from Haiti and “shithole countries” in Africa as he rejected a bipartisan immigration deal, according to one participant and people briefed on the conversation. The president denied using certain “language,” but a Democratic lawmaker in the meeting said the accounts were accurate.
An adviser to Pope Francis and the leader of the Archdiocese of Boston, which is home to a large number of Haitian Catholics, also expressed concern about the rhetoric being used in the immigration debate—though he did not call out the president by name.
Cardinal Seán O’Malley wrote in a blog post on Friday that he has ministered to “people from many lands who came to the United States to share their lives, their culture and their faith with American society,” an experience he said has been “filled with a spirit which is so different from the tenor and language of much of the debate about immigration in our country today.”
“At times it is harsh, not welcoming and deeply suspicious,” he continued. “But, while I am optimistic about our country, there are institutions and individual voices with the capacity to distort the reputation of this country in the eyes of world.
“As a nation, a sovereign state, we expect to be respected by others. That respect must be reciprocated by us towards others—individuals, countries and cultures,” he wrote.
Another cardinal highlighted the role Haitians played in the founding of his city and offered a twist on Mr. Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
On Friday, Cardinal Blase Cupich tweeted: “Grateful for Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable, ‘Founder of Chicago’—and Haitian immigrant. We are a nation of immigrants, who have made America great. We continue to be enriched by the gifts they bring to our shores.”
Grateful for Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable, “Founder of Chicago”—and Haitian immigrant. We are a nation of immigrants, who have made America great. We continue to be enriched by the gifts they bring to our shores.
— Cardinal Cupich (@CardinalBCupich) January 12, 2018
Earlier on Friday, the Vatican’s newspaper called the president’s remarks “harsh” and “offensive.” Later, a senior official for the U.S. bishops conference released a statement highlighting the racial elements of Mr. Trump’s comments.
“Reports of recent disparaging remarks about African countries and Haiti have aroused great concern. As our brothers and sisters from these countries are primarily people of color, these alleged remarks are especially disturbing,” said James Rogers, the chief communications officer for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “All human beings are made in the image and likeness of God, and comments that denigrate nations and peoples violate that fundamental truth and cause real pain to our neighbors.”
Mr. Rogers called it “regrettable” that the story came as the nation commemorates Martin Luther King Jr. and lamented that it “could distract from the urgent bipartisan effort to help Dreamers and those with Temporary Protected Status.”
“As a vigorous debate continues over the future of immigration, we must always be sure to avoid language that can dehumanize our brothers and sisters,” he concluded.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski took to Twitter to express his thoughts about the controversy. The Miami archbishop, who has worked with Haitians living in the United States for years and who has visited the nation several times following its devastating 2010 earthquake, published two tweets about immigration on Friday:
On Tuesday, the President suggested he would sign whatever Congress brought him on immigration reform. But yesterday he brought some of the most hardline of restrictionists. His remarks laid bare the true motivations of those that want to close our nation to immigrants pic.twitter.com/qJeof86qdj
— Thomas Wenski (@ThomasWenski) January 12, 2018
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Readers of AmericaMagazine should be mindful of Russian bots and Vladimir Putin's sponsored trolls that will masquerade as "comments" by "readers". Their goal is to take advantage of the open nature of the American democracy, the open nature of online platforms, manipulate them and sow seeds of division and discord among Americans. They will attack AmericaMagazine. They will support rightwing views. They will support racist, bigoted and xenophobic positions. They will canvass views that go against American working people and middle class. Please ignore these Russian bots and Russian trolls. It is not worth it to respond to their divisive comments. Please always read between the lines to detect these Russian trolls. Ignore them in your comments.
How do we know you are not a Russian bot? I say this as a joke because there are no bots here except the occasional internet scam which is obvious.
Remember it was the Russians that were trying to destroy trump. So you have it backwards. The Clinton campaign hired a research firm that hired a British Spy who hired Russian intelligence operatives to find negative information on Trump. It was the Clinton Campaign that was colluding with Russia to affect the election. These Russian intelligence agents must have had the blessing of Putin. So Putin interfered in our election in favor of Clinton, not Trump by taking money from the Clinton campaign.
By the way, I have been to Russia, St. Petersburg on a cruise ship for 2 days. Does that make someone a Russian troll?
Also it seems like an ad hominem to call people negative names just because you do not like their arguments.
"a Democratic lawmaker in the meeting said the accounts were accurate."
And the President said they are not. That is what formerly was referred in the Pre-PC era as a "Mexican standoff" and the media and Catholic clergy go into instant ant-Trump meltdown. If it was the word he used to describe the actual conditions in many countries then he has joined an illustrious group of former presidents who peppered some remarks with so called vulgar language. A few examples can be found at:
https://www.cnsnews.com/blog/craig-bannister/flashback-rolling-stone-defends-obama-calling-romney-bullshtter-its-magazine
Then there were the people who said Trump called them after the meeting & repeated the comments. Then there were the people who initially "couldn't remember" & then stated he didn't say that word after there were reports that said some people thought he said S-house. The people who are now saying he didn't use that word haven't said he didn't use any close form of the word.
Regardless, the sentiment stays the same. He said we didn't want immigrants from (those) countries. We should get immigrants from Norway (i.e. Aryan nations).
It seems my comment from yesterday was deleted. Let me, then, repeat what was deleted probably by a computer glitch...
Why is a Catholic paper reporting a rumor, gossip? Morally speaking, this is calumny or detraction at best--both being evil. Rather than engage in this kind of rumormongering and at the same time bemoan the loss of high-standards and moral living, raise the bar. Set the standard. Stand clear of gossip, of the harping, the nitpicking. Report real news. That is, things that truly matter.
A reporter has a profound duty to society, but this kind of reporting is not only a dereliction of duty of the reporter, but a gross injustice to the man who is being stained by this mudslinging or to the public who has a right to not be blinded or their sensational appetite appeased by this muck.
Oh, please! Reported by people in the room and not denied by the White House. Don't defend the indefensible or you're just like what you defend.
"Reported by people" Beside Sen.Durbin who are the other "people" who were present and confirmed Durbin's remark For the record several named Senators, Cotton for one said that word was not heard.
E. Patrick Mosman, please kindly permit me to make this preliminary observation. I often check very closely before I respond to an online post. This is because I do not want to waste time responding to Vladimir Putin's Russian bots and trolls. We all know how Vladimir Putin's Russian online bots and trolls polluted and muddied the water during the 2016 presidential election here in America by abusing the open nature of respectable online platforms, social media and sowing division among Americans. Many Americans fell for that trap and took their decision on the basis of the falsehood about America spread by Putin's Russian bots and trolls. This is the reason I am being cautious because it is a waste of time responding to Putin's Russian bots and trolls. So I am responding to your post with this kind of journalistic and intellectual caution on my mind. So here is my response to your post. (i) Senator Durbin-a Democrat was present at the meeting with Donald Trump and he confirmed what he heard and what Donald Trump said. (ii) Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican was present. Senator Graham confirmed what was said by Donald Trump and what he Senator Graham heard. Senator Graham said after Donald Trump used the words he Senator Graham went straight to Donald Trump and told him his mind. So two Senators- a Democrat and a Republican both confirmed what was said and heard. (iii) Now you said "several named Senators said that word was not heard". You said "several" Senators yet you named just one. You named Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican. (iv) Contrary to what you wrote Senator Cotton did not say "that word was not heard". To say according to you that Cotton said "that word was not heard" is a categorical statement, a categorical denial. But Senator Cotton did not offer a CATEGORICAL STATEMENT. Senator Cotton did not offer a CATEGORICAL DENIAL because Senator Cotton did not say "that word was not heard". Rather Senator Cotton HEDGED by relying on a loss memory, an amnesia by saying he did not recall. In other words, Senator implied that that he could not remember. Now conceptually and factually when one says one does not recall or one does not remember it does not mean that what one does not recall did not happen. It only means that that person-in this case-Senator Cotton claimed he did not remember. To fail to recall can be either a subjective act or an objective act. Objectively, if a person fails to recall, it is possible that that person has an amnesia, a memory loss, a memory problem. Subjectively, if a person fails to recall, it is possible that that failure to remember is a deliberate act-i.e one remembers but for some reasons one decides to go public and claim not to remember. The important thing here is that a failure to remember what was said-whether it is an objective or subjective failure-does not mean that "that word was not said". It only means that person said he did not remember that word that was said. And the word for that failure to recall and remember is called HEDGING. In other words Senator Tom Cotton HEDGED and DODGED. To hedge and dodge the truth is a moral failure, a failure of courage. And that is sad and unfortunate for a politician like Senator Cotton- and the party he represents-the Republican party. It is sad and unfortunate because our children are watching us, they hear everything we say, and do not say; everything we recall and claim not to recall. It is sad and unfortunate because this moment has been recorded by history, as everything is always being recored by history.
With all that searching and hand wringing you failed to note that exactly what Senator Graham said:
"Sen. Lindsey Graham said Friday that "I said my piece directly" to President Donald Trump after he reportedly made derogatory comments about Haiti and Africa — though the South Carolina Republican did not say whether the president had made the "s**thole countries" remark."
It was Senator Perdue who joined Senator Cotton who as you pointed out "did not recall' which you interpret to mean that the two are "hedging" ie lying, a liberal's opinion about Republicans not a truth,which brings the total to one denial, one no mention and two "do not recall" verses one rabid anti-Trump Democrat Dick Durbin who in the past "compared American soldiers to Nazis, Soviets, and Pol Pot. I refer you also to one of my previous comments for the President's and politicians both Republicans and Democrats who used similar vulgarities without causing a media meltdown and charges of racism or worse. It is actually the vulgar,angry, daily attacks on the President by the democrats, the leftist media and many bloggers that are harming the United States, particularly with Senators like Durbin and Schumer.
E Patrick
Drop your discussion with Mr Ademoyo...you will get an endlessly repetitive response which serves only to regurgitate his original position....but at even greater length.
Mr Meisenzahl,
Thank you for a prescient warning as seen by Mr. Ademoyo's latest screed.
Mr. E. Patrick Mosman, next time do the following-(i) know the subject. (ii) know the substance. (iii) prepare your facts that are verifiable and not , Trumpish alternate facts, (iv) be ready for objections to your presentation, (v) do not give a fast food quickie Vladimir Putin kind of Russian trolling, be prepared for reasoned conversation for that is when the facts are laid out and reasoned inference made. The alliance between the Republican rightwing and Vladimir Putin's bots and Russian trolls cannot stand the power of facts and argument in a rational conversation. Hope to see this alliance of rightwing Republicans and Vladimir Putin's Russian bots and trolls next time.
You mention Russia 11 times but the Russians intervened in the election to help Hillary Clinton and against Trump. You should revise your comments accordingly. The Democrat now acknowledge this.
You, sir, constantly disseminate lies and fake news on these thread. From the January/February 2018 Atlantic article entitled,"Putin's game":
"The coup de grace, perhaps, was the receipt by the FBI of a dubious document that seemed to paint the Clinton campaign in a bad light. The Washington Post reported this spring on a memo, seemingly from Russian intelligence, that had been obtained by an FBI source during the presidential campaign. The memo claimed that then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch had communicated with a Clinton campaign staffer, providing assurance that the FBI wouldn't pursue the investigation into Clinton's use of a private e-mail server as secretary of state too strenuously. Sources close to James Comey told The Post that the document had 'played a major role' in the way Comey, who as FBI director took fierce pride in his political independence, thought about the case, and had pushed him to make a public statement about it in July 2016. (He said he would bring no charges, but criticized Clinton sharply.) Comey's public comments about the investigation--in July and then in October--damaged Clinton greatly, possibly costing her the presidency. THE DOCUMENT, THE ARTICLE NOTED, WAS A SUSPECTED RUSSIAN FORGERY."
No lies. No fake News.
The Democrats paid for opposition research which ended up sending money to Russia intelligence agents through a British intermediary. The Russian intelligence agents provided very negative but false information about Trump to be disseminated through American press that was pro Clinton. That is interference of the Russian government in the 2016 election on behalf of Hillary Clinton.
There will be a massive release of FBI and DOJ documents this week about the internal decisions on the role these departments had in spying on American citizens. They may contain information about internal decisions made about the Clinton emails.
Ask questions before calling someone a liar.
Apparently you cannot read: that single e-mail, a RUSSIAN FORGERY, was, as the article calls it, the "coup de grace," that provoked Comey into publicly chastising Clinton, and swinging sufficient independents into Drumpf's camp. The Russian government-mafia wanted Drumpf to be president, and not Clinton, because it was CLINTON who wished to stand up to Russian on Syria and the Ukraine, and it was CLINTON who had previously alleged voting irregularities in the election of Putin. All of your ridiculous right-wing smoke and mirrors--your attempts to obfuscate and deceive--cannot hide that.
I think you should read more.
There has been a year long investigation into the FBI and DOJ and some of it has leaked and will be available shortly. It points in a different direction. As I said the Clinton campaign paid Russian intelligence agents to provide negative information on Trump and they provided false information to be disseminated to press. That is evidence of Russian collusion to help Clinton. The very fact that they paid foreign agents for this is a crime even if the information is false. They tried to use the information to influence election.
You point to one memo as the source influencing the FBI investigation. I believe there is much more than that.
I also believe you should change your tone.
Mr. E. Patrick Mosman,
Thanks for your post and response. Now let us put some substance into our conversation. I will ignore your anger and diversion and focus on the issues. In a session on immigration between Donald Trump and some selected American Congressmen (i) Donald Trump referred to people from Africa and Haiti as people coming from shit hole countries who do not deserve to be in the United States of America because they are from Shit hole countries. In other words if they are from Shit hole countries then they are shit hole people and persons. (For your personal records and for your own education, please google the education levels of African immigrants to the US and compare their education levels to other immigrants -both old and new- in the US-You may also ask the country's department of education for hard and concrete data on this) (ii) Donald Trump then said that America should rather welcome people from Norway. And Norway is in Europe. Okay? You will recall that Donald Trump's paternal and maternal families are from both Germany and Scotland-in Europe. They came here to the United states as immigrants. Now to refer to people based on the color of their skin as coming from shit hole countries while in the same vein to request that people from another country-Norway- that happen to physically -in terms of color of their skin- look like Donald Trump are welcome is the classic definition of racism. This comes under our faith. I am a Christian and a Catholic. Therefore, faith is the main reason I am engaging this issue. Because racism is in violation of the Christian faith, you have to show me scripturally and theologically how this classic racism does not violate John 17: 21 which is the core of the Christian faith, our faith.
On Senators Cotton and Perdue's (Republicans) loss of memory and amnesia. Cotton and Perdue said they did not recall. You will agree with me that to fail to recall does not mean that what you fail to recall did not happen. This means that the person that fails to recall an event is not saying that the event did not happen. He/She is only saying that s/he did not recall. You need to engage this basic logic. But let me deepen my claim that the failure of Senators Cotton and Perdue to report their witness of Donald Trump's use of racist language and slur is a moral failure and a failure of courage. Please go and read the news papers today. Suddenly, clownishly and strangely Senator Perdue's (the Republican) political memory is back, his memory is alive again! Perdue has suddenly been cured of his political amnesia after undergoing right wing political medication behind closed doors! Having been cured of his political amnesia, Senator Perdue can now remember that Donald Trump did not say Africans and Haitians come from shit hole countries! You can now see the dubiousness and absurdity of Perdue and Cotton's (two Republicans) failure of moral courage. In less than twenty fours after Donald Trump used his racist slur, Senators Cotton and Perdue could not recall that Donald Trump used those words. Days after the ridiculousness and absurdity of a failure to remember what happened less than twenty four hours by two adults(Cotton and Perdue) was thrown at their (Cotton and Perdue) faces by the American public, suddenly Perdue can now "remember"! Perdue is now saying that he can recall and that Donald Trump did not use the racist slur! Once upon a time, Cotton and Perdue could not re-call but now Perdue can re-call after undergoing rightwing and morally dubious conservative value "medication" behind closed doors! You will agree with me that there is a difference between (a) I did not recall and (b) now I can recall. The former claim was made by Perdue in less than twenty four hours of the occurrence of the event. The latter was made by the same Perdue days after the event, after a political cure! This is absurd, and a shame. Hence, the logical and medical questions are (1) who cured Senator Perdue of his political amnesia? (2) Who healed Senator Perdue of political loss of his political memory? These are questions relevant for history. And as I said our children and grandchildren are watching these events as American historians, theologians, philosophers and American scholars and scholars all over the world are recording them for posterity. Thanks Mr. Patrick Mosman for allowing us to see and account for a major problem in the polity-the logical, political and health/medical problem of political loss of memory and political amnesia and how morally dubious conservative right wing value and medication have been used to cure these political ailments behind closed door!.
Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, corroborates what Durbin claims.
Odd that no one ever questions the propriety of the universal use of the term "THIRD WORLD COUNTRY". Yet everyone seems to understand what it has come to mean......and even in the broad context of this discussion it is pretty close to the very mark which is hit by other less gentile pejoratives. Indeed the supporters of TPS argue those are the very horrid conditions which do not permit the current termination of TPS status for the Haitians.
Comments above suggest defenders of the aristocracy perhaps share Trump’s view on Haiti and Africa.
The aristocracy in the United States if there is one are supporters of the Democratic Party. The media, Wall Street, Silicon Valley, entertainment industry, academia all are big supporters of liberal causes. The high income areas of New York, New England, California and the intelligentsia in college towns voted overwhelmingly for Clinton.
It is the small business owner and common person who supports Trump. If you believe that all these people in our aristocracy are racist, I agree but it is not Trump and his voters.
Also why did you not include El Salvador because that is what Trump mentioned? He wanted Haiti and El Salvador out of the agreement and they were not referred to in supposedly derogatory ways.
I thing you should amend your comment to reflect the fake news we know as opposed to the fake news people are spinning.
Donald Trump is no Don Haskins. Anyone can claim not to be racist. "Some say it, and some live it.
In contrast to Trump, a young lady, remembering a phone call from Haiti, said, “That was actually one of the greatest moments of our life…” Search “Roberts Reveals a Favorite 'GMA” for more.
But Jesse Jackson thinks Trump is much more than Don Haskins as he awarded Trump for a lifetime is service to black community.
Trump perhaps got caught up in MAGA, Make Aristocracy Great Again.
One commenter (see America January 12, 2018 article, “Reject Trump’s racist language and get back to policy-making on immigration”) asked the question below.
“Why are the Haitians in Haiti poor, but Haitians in NY and NJ living solid lower middle to upper-middle class incomes?” Might we instead ask, "why would Trump end the Haiti poor going to NY and NJ to become middle class?"
Does MAGA policy to preserve and expand the aristocracy’s wealth run counter to policy promoting the middle class?
With the middle class on the defense, the aristocracy is free to preserve and expand its wealth. Forbes notes the three richest Americans now hold more wealth than the bottom 50% of the country. MAGA has the world on defense which perhaps one day will lead three Americans to more wealth than the bottom 50% of the world.
Your propositions are a bunch of non-sequiturs.
Somehow you have to explain why the "aristocracy" is so anti Trump if Trump is trying to make them great again. And why the rich fear Trump will upend their gravy train? He is draining the "Swamp" of elites including the three wealthiest you decry. Bezos owns the Washington Post, a bastion of anti-Trump negative news.
And why was Trump support strong in the middle class?
I just pointed out to you that Jesse Jackson gave Trump an award for his service to the black community. So how can he be a racist? I would look at those who call him a racist and ask why they do so
Chuck
Forbes three richest persons in 2017 were Gates , Buffet, and Bezos ......all of whom are ardent Democrats and were I believe public supporters of Hillary Clinton.........do you perhaps see a conflict there with your thesis connecting your "Aristocracy" confection with Trump?
Senator Tom Cotton and Senator David Perdue (both at the meeting) have stated that Trump did not use the vulgar term. If this is correct, perhaps the Bishops and Editors owe Trump an apology. Perhaps the Editors recall Durbin accusing US troops of being comparable to "Soviets in their Gulags". Durbin is as much prone to inflammatory language as Trump.
trump tambien sabe hackear facebook en el 2018
For some,at least one, replying to my comments it is obvious that manic degree of insanity featuring TDS is not limited to the media personnel, it can occur among America readers too, who resort to personal and hominem attacks
Such persons are probably fanatics of ABCCBSNBSMSNBSCNNNYTimesWaPo etc,etc, fake news fans and suffering a severe case of TDS which may be mitigated by giving up all progressive "fake" news sources, print, online and TV for say six months or more.
You can take the boy out of Queens but you can't take Queens out of the boy. Racist language and policies were the norm at a time when the military was segregated. Trump's casinos provided jobs for women who depended on tips and his housing is marketed to the elite.
At his prime, MLK had developed to the point of understanding economic inequality as the central issue. Progressives accepted minority businessmen and celebrity as long as most knew their place was with the white trash - no better and no worse ... and no explicit "racism".
The underclass would not stay down after WWII and minorities made headway until women decided to compete. Preferential affirmation action eliminated white male privilege and then some. Minorities and women have been preferred in universities and promoted above better qualified white men in order to make statistical goals (a/k/a quotas) look good.
Perhaps the only thing worse than giving opportunities to minorities and women due to their genetic attributes is to give the opportunities to those from foreign lands and further justify discrimination with arbitrary preference non-white males.
Abortion has destroyed the male role as head of the family. The courts have refused to allow legislative solutions to protect the institution of the family. Donald Trump is a racist; or perhaps he is simply like all the other billionaires who don't appreciate the extreme destruction caused by the growing family wealth gap.
Typical of people who don't have a moral argument. X didn't say X word. Okay. We'll start with that. Suppose Trump didn't....
The sentiment is EXACTLY the same. We shouldn't accept immigrants from countries that are mostly people of color. We SHOULD try to get immigrants from countries like "Norway". You know, those Aryan nations?
Trump said Norway and Asia. I believe most people from Asia are people of color.
He just met with the prime minister of Norway.
What does the term "moral argument" have to do with the question at hand. How many attendees at the meeting have come forward and publicly stated that they heard the President use use the "s--- word" more than once beside Senator Durbin?
The question is why should the USA's immigration policy heavily favor immigrants from certain countries over other countries.
Now in addition to two senators denying that Trump had made these comments, the Secretary of Homeland Security, questioned under oath by Senator Patrick Leahey, indicates that she did not hear what has been purported. That's 3:1 for a "he said:she said" comment in what was supposed to be a private meeting.
If there is a scintilla of truth in the denials by the Senators and Homeland Security Secretary, against the inflammatory Durbin, America Magazine and its editors are guilty of perpetuating a lie, an untruth. Matt Malone SJ, quis custdiet ipso custodes? AmericaMagazine has a duty to the truth, or so it would seem.
I am reminded of a tale told by one of the Dominican nuns at our grade school a half century ago. "A boy went to a mountain top and ripped open a pillow, the feathers fly everywhere. God tells him to get all the feathers back."