heres a letter written to the local newspaper here:
Monday's boycotts were a display of racism and a celebration of the violation of American law ("Locals engage in boycott," Tuesday) -- pure and simple.
The argument here is illegal immigration, not Latinos. Yet somehow, the House bill against illegal immigration is seen as an attack on all Latinos, as though this bill is some sort of Jim Crow law. Well, it's not.
Most people seem to be missing that point. The bill doesn't go far enough to curb illegal immigration, but it does make some effort, really little more than force those here illegally to become citizens.
I, for one, can't see the harm in that. It would seem, however, tens of thousands of Latinos in Southern California do.
Here in Burbank, with our Home Depot strife, we know all too well how the illegal immigrant debate can divide and unite segments of a community. I certainly don't believe that every one of those people that marched were illegal immigrants.
So why were they there? A show of pride? For what? Immigration reform? No. It was a show of unity for the Latino community.
One would have to assume, from recent events and this boycott, that if the many Latinos in our communities were not viewing the House bill as a bigoted slam against Latinos and protesting it as such, then they are either here illegally or have relatives or friends who are.
Because that's what this comes down to: You are either for illegal immigration or for the rule of law. Seems those who marched were supporters of the former.
And apparently, based on the reaction of this bill, it's wrong to ask illegal immigrants to become citizens, and all Americans become racist when we do.
All we're doing is asking people to obey the law. And when one group of people decides they don't need to abide by that law simply because of their skin tone, what is that but racism of its own?
JESSE L. BYERS
Burbank
http://www.glendalenewspress.com/opinion/story/44719p-67520c.html
i think that he has a point. the protest became less about immigration and more about mexicans and latinos. the bills arent to keep mexicans out of america, they are to keep ANYONE from coming into this country illegaly, mexican or not.