Letters to the editor: Epiphany spirit degraded

Letter to the Editor

Epiphany spirit degraded

Regarding "Diving into Epiphany fallout": I was so happy to see the article by Michelle Bearden. I am a Catholic, not Greek Orthodox, and enjoy watching this annual event of the boys diving for the cross on this special day. This year's event was truly not in the spirit of such a spiritual event. I could not believe the overpowering with strength to get the cross came before the first boy took hold of it. I watched the thrashing in the water with fear, worried someone was going to get hurt. It seems the spirit of the event should be in the first touch of the cross and the spirituality of the individual rather than who is the strongest to pull it away and raise it. Thank you to Michelle for providing details to many of us who wondered if others recognized the lack of meaning in this year's dive.

Jenee Lampasona

Lutz

Enforce immigration laws

After reading Chris Ingram's piece, "Illegal immigration: More at stake than you think" (Views, Jan. 22), let's just open up the jails and let out the non-violent criminals. If we aren't going to enforce our immigration laws, then how can we justify enforcing any of our laws?

Don't give me a ticket for not wearing my seatbelt or for running a red light when illegal aliens are driving on our highways with no licenses and no insurance.

When Hillsborough Sheriff David Gee arrests an illegal alien, does he call Immigration and Customs Enforcement? He made the claim a few years ago that 10,000 illegal aliens were arrested, but ICE would not pick them up. Then-U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite requested an investigation into why ICE took no action.

Does anybody in this country enforce our immigration laws other than Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona? Now, he is being punished by Attorney General Eric Holder and President Obama and most likely will have to go to court to defend himself. Good news, though, Joe is running for re-election. Go, Joe!

Betty Dobson

Brooksville