For the most part responses to the badge were polite, with people looking for information rather than looking for a chance to argue.  One woman, when I told her it was a sort of miniprotest against the new Arizona immigration law, looked at me and said "You don't look illegal."  I responded, "That's the point."  She let it drop.

An employee at the United Airlines ticket counter took exception to my protest, but did so in a civilized manner.  He was quite hare-core, favoring concealed gun carry as a way to intimidate the "gang-bangers" but he did not engage in a rant.  We parted on agreeable terms, meaning we agreed to disagree.

My friends in Traverse City, Michigan (hardly a bastion of diversity) were mostly interested in how the law was supposed to work and whether it would achieve the desired results.  I think most of them agreed that, standing alone, it would probably not solve the problem.  And in all cases, we agreed that it was a serious problem that needed to be solved.

As an aside, my time in Traverse City cemented the wisdom of our move to Arizona.  I was snowy and windy on Saturday and Sunday morning the tempertature was 24 degrees.  On top of thak the fish weren't biting.

Thought for the day:  No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck.  Frederick Douglas.

 

Brooks Marshall

(aka)Pat

brooksmarshall@msn.com