To the editor:

Where do I begin? In his letter, Gerald F. Chase, (A point of disagreement with Hodgson, Dec. 29) suggests that undocumented immigrants have no rights within this nation. But wait, theres more. Chase goes on to say that undocumented immigrants in the Bristol County jail are criminals and therefore have no rights under the Constitution regardless of the activists, lawyers and judges who claim that they do.

I wont go so far as to call this statement stupid. I will instead refer to it as masterfully ill informed. Actually, this statement would have to walk four steps to get to stupid. Criminals have no rights? Hasnt Chase every heard of the Miranda rights that are, by law, read to everyone arrested in our country? Has he never read about due process? Was he sleeping during history class the day they taught about the protection against self-incrimination? You know, the Fifth Amendment?

Our country has always prided itself as the bastion of civil rights. Although we have occasionally dropped the ball, America was founded on and has always fought for equality, justice and freedom from tyranny. We fought those fights not only on our own land, but in many wars on foreign soil in a valiant attempt to guarantee these freedoms around the world because civil rights are human rights.

Please inform Chase that these undocumented prisoners are human beings. This is obviously something both he and Sheriff Thomas Hodgson fail to understand.

Dave Kane

Johnston, R.I.

The writer, a longtime broadcaster, has a radio talk show at 9 a.m. Saturdays on 1320 WARA.

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Letter to the editor: Civil rights are human rights - The Sun Chronicle