Lots of talk on the hill about immigration these days. Immigration, to me is an understood, unwritten right of the constitution. Who wrote the constitution? Immigrants. Rules don’t change for brown skin or certain religious affiliations. Immigration is this country’s entire damn raison d’etre!

This issue reminds me of one of Tyler’s speeches in Fight Club:

Look . . . the people you are after are the people you depend on. We cook your meals, we haul your trash, we connect your calls, we drive your ambulances, we guard you while you sleep. Do not fuck with us.

These anti-immigration NIMBYs have no idea how their lives would be E- and A-ffected if a great no-entry wall was erected. I would add to the list above, we watch your children, we grow your food, and we pick that food, including the GRAPES that go into your OVERPRICED California Cabernet (because that money sure doesn’t go to pay migrant workers’ salaries). It goes to build fancy wineries for the likes of the nouveau riche, like Sherry Staglin and blah-bi-di-blah Mondavi.

I read this article: “Sour Grapes” by Marc Cooper, which first appeared in the LA Weekly* in August of 2005. You should read it too. Fear mongers use platitudes and generalities to garner support for their causes. The last thing they want you to do is put a face with the issue, let alone a man, or a family. And I know “migrant” is not exactly synonymous with “illegal,” but conditions for both groups are all too often interchangeable. These people aren’t taking much, if anything, away from us. We are taking far more away from them.

* the LA Weekly is a sister company of the Seattle Weekly, and part of Village Voice Media.

In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve written a few things for the Seattle Weekly of late.

Pay a visit and read my most recent little dittie, about Long Drinks.

Let the season of cold beverages begin.

(at right, my newly annointed official refreshing drink of spring & summer, Ramazzotti & ginger ale)