Editor,
In last Wednesday’s Daily Lobo the above-the-fold article, “Term ‘illegal’ raises furor,” was about future seminarian for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and current ASUNM Senator Colt Balok using the non-Catholic term of ‘illegal’ regarding the driver’s license debate.
While I do agree with the sentiment addressed by Ramiro Rodriguez, and have the personal belief that follows the Catholic Church teaching that no one is illegal — while not directly addressed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops — it does appear that the use of this is not one that a true Catholic that future seminarian Colt Balok self-proclaims to be would use.
My main issue is that in the picture that accompanies the article, Colt Balok is not wearing a jacket. As an altar server at the — according to future seminarian Balok in a letter to the Daily Lobo on January 29 — not-Catholic Newman Center (which is a falsehood: it is a Catholic Parish, and the Dominicans are a Catholic Order), and speaking only speak for myself, and not necessarily others at the Newman Center: How does he expect to be viewed as a competent leader if he does not show the ASUNM Senate the respect that it deserves? Of course, one could argue that he is not a competent leader, which I think can be shown by the issue.
In terms of when he comes up for re-election, I think it is time that he be voted out, and replaced with a Catholic who represents, and is able to balance the Catholic Social justice Teachings without insulting those who follow the entire Social Justice Teachings, rather than just the ones that future seminarian Colt Balok thinks should be followed.
Brendan Kearns
UNM student
