Dear Editor:

This was a 4th of July weekend of infamy that will go down in history as a moment when American legislators trashed unemployed Americans. We cannot forget those politicians who deliberately left Washington for holiday, refusing to pass an extension of benefits for the unemployed.For those who try to justify their actions as a budget or economic issue, I say it is a moral issue.For those who lost their jobs through no fault of their own, being denied unemployment benefits, to which they contributed, is cruel and heatless. Are we to become a nation that will deliberately turn its back on the poor and desperate in their time of need?We have just celebrated our nation's independence and freedom, a gift unique in all the world, but we have revealed, by this horrific legislative action, a dysfunctional process of governing.For a country that can be so generous and giving, it is despicable to have legislators betray our essential goodness. Where is our soul?Deacon Skip La PoliceTamaqua