Charges against Catholics
To the Editor:

After reading the article "History of Alcohol in America" by Shelem Flemons I felt compelled to answer his charges against the Catholic church. If you followed the logic of his article aligning Catholics with the Mafia, Al Capone, and the rise of alcoholism in America then it would follow that Protestants in America were responsible for racial bigotry and the Ku Klux Klan. That argumentation is false and an insult not only to Catholic but to every reasoning person. In spite of his denial that his article was not anti-Catholic it obviously is. Anti-Catholic bigotry is the last socially acceptable bigotry in our Country and I am shocked to see such bigotry is allowed in the Union Sentinel.

Besides the lack of logic I'm afraid Chaplain Flemons is a little shy on his history. The use of alcohol predates the influx of Catholics to this country in the 19th century. George Washington, in his vast holdings was a distiller of spirits as was many of the members of the Colonial Congress. The use of alcohol by the Italians is a cultural use of wine as it is throughout the Mediterranean, however drinking to the point of drunkenness is considered a weakness.

I understand First Amendment rights of free speech, but inciting bigotry is like yelling fire in a crowded theater. With free speech comes the responsibility of at least doing some research and not bending the facts.

Rev. Richard P. Wise,

Pastor, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church

Editor's response:

We appreciate the fact that you took the time to write a response to someone's opinion that you strongly disagreed with.

The Union Sentinel certainly does not condone bigotry in any form, and we always reserve the right to not print something that we feel is libelous or contains personal attacks.

But like any other newspaper, we allow, even encourage, letters to the editor and submitted articles to provide readers a venue to express their opinions, regardless of whether or not we personally agree with them.

By doing this, it is inevitable that on occasion a person's opinion may be derogatory towards a particular group of people such as a race, religion, or political party, as these are often hot button topics.

The important thing is that readers do take the time to write a response to articles or opinion columns that they feel strongly about, whether it is to compliment or to criticize.

Because even when a point of contention arises, bringing it into the spotlight can often turn negative situations into positive ones by educating the public about an issue, or at the very least, sparking a debate about the subject.

Thank you, Jared Putnam Union Sentinel Editor