Gloucester Daily Times Debate on Abortion (41), March 19, 1986

Tolerating Freedom of Expression

I read in the U.S. briefs (Times, March 10) the news that (Cardinal) John O’Connor, of the archdiocese of New York, is blackmailing the New York Medical College of Walhalla, N.Y. It seems that the price to pay, in our country of religious freedom, is to stop support of a suburban county medical school unless hospitals affiliated with the college stop performing abortions.

Well, so much for freedom of expression. O’Connor must be under the influence of believing that our country is a banana republic, where the will of his group is arbitrarily imposed or one suffers the consequences in a nebulous future. Someway, the word has to reach him  that such behavior is not only morally disgusting, but plainly unlawful, without any features that are widely scattered in the populace (e.g. kindness, humility, etc.) for which they want to be known.

We are living in more sophisticated times; a more educated society will not tolerate an attempt to get us back to the Inquisition times. The exception of Giordano Bruno or the slaughter of the natives of this continent will not be repeated!

A few days ago, the New York Times brought an interesting study on Catholics and their whereabouts. The report showed that the majority of members under this denomination started speaking Latin languages, in addition to being uneducated and poor. But, as soon as they started to learn to communicate in the English language, obtain an education and, as a consequence, start reaping the benefits of possessing more buying power, they move away from the organization.

The implications are obvious. These people remain in the flock; in the meantime they insist on isolating themselves by communicating in their original language, do not receive added knowledge and are unaware of the joy and benefits of being free.

With this background one can only reason that perhaps it is possible that if O’Connor could get educated and speak in English (there is no problem in the money department), that he could see the light and change his ridiculous and outdated position.

L.C. Noriega, Iron Gates, Magnolia