READERS RESPOND

What impact? What I noticed was the lack of speeding cars and SUVs through my neighborhood by late parents taking their kids to school and how quiet it was overall.

I noticed the lack of traffic on the freeways. I had a nice relaxing commute to Anaheim and back in half the normal time. I noticed the supermarket was enjoyable and not a chore. I also noticed the places that were shut down and made notes to never darken their doorways with my money again. All in all I wish more days were just like May 1, 2006.

I now have a better idea who supports illegal immigration and who thinks citizenship is a privilege and not a right.

DON MARSHALL

Costa Mesa

The boycott appeared to have little effect on the daily activities of those who live on the west side of Newport Beach, including 17th Street and surrounding areas. The mood was peaceful, calm and lives were not disrupted. Persons of Latino background that residents are accustomed to seeing and doing business with at local businesses, stores and restaurants came to work.

On a deeper level we must be careful not to draw too many conclusions from Monday’s staged boycott. Nor should we underestimate America’s resolve to respond to any perceived or real threat to our safety and economy.

Even if we were to lose all illegal immigrant workers ? Newport-Mesa, Orange County, California and the nation would survive.

Why?

If the illegals were to stage a sustained work boycott, American ingenuity over weeks and months and spurred on by the increased demand for workers, would gradually develop a whole new set of technologies and innovative work methods. In spite of the elegance of the false rhetoric, many of the 15 million unemployed Americans would absorb some of the jobs left behind.

On a usual day there would not be the road and street closures plus tens of thousands of marchers that caused delays and contributed to the inconveniences in some areas.

On a more regular day the press and media would not be fueling, flaming and encouraging the protests and boycotts to pursue their own agendas. Nor would the media be able to over-hype and purposely misinterpret the results of the boycott. During the last demonstrations one county paper reported that 500,000 marched in Los Angeles while another wrote it was 20,000.

This is not to say we desire or should require all illegal immigrants to leave. Most persons in this area and throughout California ask first that the broken pipeline be fixed immediately so we can then deal intelligently with the issue. If a water pipe broke in your home or yard would you debate the issue for 20 years ? or first fix the leak and then proceed to solve the problem.

That said, the Pilot deserves considerable praise for not waxing too much or too little on this emotional and divisive issue. They cooked it just right.

And finally we should all be thankful that the boycotts were peaceful and orderly which is in itself a tribute to our democratic process and system.

This bodes well for all those who are here, either legally or illegally, that a solution can be reached that is fair and just and a win-win for all.

MICHAEL ARNOLD GLUECK

Newport Beach

We have lived in Costa Mesa for 30 years now. Monday’s boycott had no impact on us or our family at all. In fact, we went to dinner as we usually do. The service was great and there was a small crowd as always. I want to add that I hope our government does not give in to these people. We don’t negotiate with terrorists so why would we negotiate with people who are not offering us anything in return. I read Eric Bever’s “Community Commentary” on April 27 about getting something in return and I totally agree. There’s no way Mexico would agree to let us become citizens and own property there and if they did in a few years they would just claim that we took “their” country away from them. It is a shame that so many adults have brought their children over here knowing they would be illegal and could be deported at anytime. I feel for the children who have been put in this situation because they are caught in the middle and they don’t really understand what is happening. I personally know a young man who was brought over here at age 2. His parents never filed for citizenship nor did they file for amnesty a few years back. Now at age 20 he is illegal and the only way he can become a citizen is to go back to Mexico and begin the paper work. The only problem is he has no family or friends there and would be lost and alone. This is not his fault but his parents. Yes, they tried to give him and his sister (she was born here) a good life but he now has to take low-paying jobs, rent a room not an apartment and walk everywhere because he cannot have a license. If his parents had only followed the law (we all have too) he could be a police officer or join the service like he wants to do.

We don’t quite understand if millions of people want a better life why they don’t boycott in their own country and demand a better life. We know our state and many more would be more than happy to step up to the plate and show them how to turn their country into a profitable and well-run country. Why put this on us when they say they take such pride in their country but their own country won’t take care of them, we have to.

We all know something has to be done. We just hope our government does the right thing.

MIKE and ANITA HALLOCK

Costa Mesa