Concerning Patricia Suzanne’s column on Jan. 5:
There are many opinions out there in the world. Why would The Signal publish Patricia Suzanne’s column, “Backtracking, Diseases and Immigration”?
Publishing varying views on topics is important in helping us all understand the many sides of a complex issue. But bringing up the specter of leprosy in connection with illegal immigration? This is just fear-mongering, pure and simple. It doesn’t have a place in the debate.
Diseases in underdeveloped and tropical areas are, of course, important when considering immigration from such areas, and there can be a discussion of that. But this article tries to tie rampant disease on the order of what Europeans brought to native Americans to the immigration debate. Sure, leprosy is still a problem in certain parts of the world, but it is easily cured by modern medicine and is not going to bring about an epidemic here. The Ebola virus is a huge concern here, but it’s not tied to the southern border of the U.S. and was brought to the U.S. by travelers from Africa.
This kind of ludicrous attempt to scare Americans has no place in the discussion.
Duane Mooring
Castaic
