The Future

Yesterday, I attended the biggest protests I'd ever seen. And for a man who is drawn to protests like a moth to a halogen lamp, that's saying something. Yesterday's protests dwarfed even the eve-of-war Iraq protests in San Francisco.

I'm talking, of course, about the pro-immigration protests. They were held across the country, but L.A. was definitely the epicenter. Here's my report:

1. Almost all the protesters were Hispanic. The few white people in attendance were mostly of the "radical kid" type - homemade all-black clothes festooned with "Protect the animals" and "Fuck you," along with patches for hardcore bands. There were no black people. I thought this was too bad; I had hoped to see a lot more non-Hispanics out there supporting the cause of immigration. To help remedy the trend, I donned an American flag headband and gave a thumbs-up to every protester I passed.

2. The protests were amazingly peaceful, polite, and respectful. I passed plenty of shouting, flag-draped teenagers, but they seemed much more like wholesome, energetic, classically American kids than lower-class hoods. The police were out in force, storm troopers in riot gear ready for battle, but none of the protesters looked like they had even the slightest urge to get in the cops' face. I never once felt any of the anger, tension, and danger I had felt at the Iraq protests.

3. The more I interact with lower-class Mexican immigrants, the more convinced I am that they will fit in perfectly with American culture. These people work hard, get married and stay married, and take care of the kids (in fact, many of the protesters I saw were too busy watching their little ones to shout slogans). There were ten American flags for every Mexican flag. Give these people the chance, and they'll be singing the Star-Spangled Banner and eating apple pie with the rest of Middle America. (Actually, to be honest, many of the protesters looked like they, like most Americans, could stand to cut down on the apple pie...)

4. A UCLA student camera crew interviewed me briefly. They asked me if I would like to give a message to Bush (they probably were referring to more hardline opponents of immigration, and not to Bush, who has always been moderate on the issue). I looked around and said the first thing that came to my head, which was something like:

"If politicians can't see that the people all around me are the future of America, then they deserve to lose every election from now until forever. Immigration is good for this country, immigration has always been our strength, and these good people around me are the future. Wake up and see the truth."

I knew, as I said it, that I was right.