Just before Karen and I joined Wenatchee’s 2010 May Day marchers shouting slogans demanding that a bipartisan comprehensive immigration bill be introduced, she said, “If shooting starts, hit the ground.”

    Her joke was rooted in public fear and hysteria, both of which may explain why many people who support reform stayed home from this year's march.

    The unyielding positions in the controversy also explain why Congress has been unable to solve three major issues: a secure border, systems that provide adequate numbers of documented workers and a plan that offers undocumented workers in the U.S. and opportunity to earn citizenship based on work and community histories.

    Frustrated Arizonians reacted with a law narrowly focused on documentation. They’ve experienced 800 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raiding four communities for human smuggling rings. Vigilantes patrol a porous border. The civil rights of innocent people have been violated.

    Bloggers raised these issues on the Wenatchee World’s website following an article announcing the march. In an effort to reform the misinformed and unite everybody wanting reform, this report compares blogger comments with our experience.

I wonder how many of these marchers will be illegal aliens? Washington has no illegal aliens. Rob Scott, a Wenatchee attorney, pointed out that undocumented workers are not federal or Washington criminals. They can be deported, but they aren’t illegal aliens.

    Why would the city allow criminals to march and to halt traffic for it? The city permitted organizers from reform groups to exercise their constitutional right to peacefully assemble. Police would have violated Karen’s and my rights if they demanded documentation before we marched.

    [It’d be…] nice if ICE was there to monitor and take action if needed. City police and organizers escorted marchers. We immediately felt comfortable even though we saw only five whites among an estimated 700 people. Women pointed at Karen’s silver hair bobbing among the throng.

    Most people were in families with children and youth. Adults pushed strollers loaded with babies, toddlers and diaper bags.  Marchers laughed, chatted, shouted slogans and sang songs. Three pre-kindergarten girls held hands saying, “Si, se puede – Yes we can.”  The one on the far left held her mother’s hand.

    We passed three protestors. Two smiling men sat on the hood of a dated blue compact car talking to a young woman. The car had white paint with slogans such as “Go home.” One police officer with a bicycle silently shielded us from each other.

    I would hope that this nation’s flag is not totally disrespected and dishonored. Dozens of people respectfully waved US flags on sticks, stakes and flagpoles.  One man walked with a US flag draped around his shoulders. Next to him a woman had a Mexican flag draped around her shoulders.

    I think INS should be at the end of the march so we can get rid of all the illegal people in Wenatchee. We didn’t see INS checking each adult’s and child’s documentation, but we did hear an organizer praise marchers for a peaceful demonstration. .

    The march usually consists of dignitaries, citizens, and legal residents so ICE would be wasting their time. Unfortunately no dignitaries marched with us. Karen said, “I was disappointed there weren’t more whites represented.”

    Imagine a crowd swollen with the employers who have worked to get bipartisan reform introduced, and friends who wished they’d joined us, and church members, social service workers, medical staff and teachers. And dignitaries like Rep Doc Hastings, who to his credit supported the most recent bill when employers convinced him it would build better communities.  

    Congress probably won’t pass immigration legislation this year. But maybe next year people could join the workers march to demonstrate massive support for immigration reform that unites our communities.