Are immigrants ruining Virginia?

Does the thought of sharing our state with "illegals" make your blood boil? Are you worried about your children's future in a climate of shifting demographics? Do you judge every presidential candidate by their immigration plan? Are you thinking of joining your local "Help Save Virginia" or starting one in the Richmond region?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, I think we need to talk (not just you and me, but a great many Virginians need to step up and engage in this debate). I'm not sure how the conversation should procede (and frankly, I think there are more pressing issues), but I'm not interested in seeing enflamed adversarial clashes that leave everyone scarred. A blogger buddy-o-mine has posted a couple short entries here and here that I'd like to share with you. These posts didn't get much attention, but I enjoyed them.

"Where are they from and why do they come here?"

Isn't this the question we should be starting with? For me, Stakolee's contributions serve as valuable food for thought, and it is these kinds of arguments that will create more introspection about our own reactions to the immigration issue and appreciation of the human beings that are the subject of this debate.

The local and national pressure around immigration doesn't seem like it is really headed toward a workable solution. The current byproducts of the anti-immigrant campaign is are: fear, anger, and possessiveness, to name only a few unhealthy attitudes. I have trouble believing that actually uprooting people by the millions would be satisfying to anyone, nor would our future generations be proud to have that as part of their history. As we go forward, I think we should focus on the VALUES that we want to see endure through this dilemma. For me, those values are: trust, cooperation, equality, education, mutual understanding, and compassion. How about you?