Dans Hamptons

Small in number but sending a powerful message nonetheless, critics of Southampton Mayor Mark Epley's day laborers and immigration policy made good on their promise to protest in front of his home on Harvest Lane in Southampton last week. Early Saturday morning, a vocal group of twenty protesters carrying signs picketed in front of the Mayor's home. The Mayor made an appearance to personally voice his displeasure with the tactics used by those unhappy with his plan to construct a hiring site just south of the Seven Eleven on Aldrich Lane. Some feel this action is illegal and insulting to the hardworking, tax-paying Southampton citizens. On the other side are many other citizens, including heads of religious organizations, who believe humane conditions should exist, in the name of God, for those less fortunate.

The issue, which may play a huge role on the national scene come the next round of elections, has hit a nerve in the Hamptons. The protesters have legitimate claims to the idea that the new policy does promote acceptance of the practice of hiring illegal immigrants. Workers are usually paid in cash without taxes, workers comp, or disability. Too often, severely injured day workers are dumped at Southampton Hospital's emergency room to be cared for without any way of being able to pay for the services.

On the other hand, Mr. Epley has a point that bringing this debate to his home and neighborhood is not healthy. Neighbors are being inconvenienced, as well as his children and wife, because of his official duties. However, the protesters Saturday did not seem to be sensitive to those ideas. "So what," was perhaps the mildest response received when that point was made. Two black, unmarked police cars were positioned on each side of the house with non-uniformed officers taking video and photos of the protesters.

Some of the protesters were not from Southampton -- one came from Clearwater Beach in East Hampton. This individual actually goes down to the border in New Mexico occasionally to patrol and assist in preventing the massive influx of illegal immigrants that come from south of our borders. He asked me where my American flag was. The protesters were told they had to keep moving or face charges. One individual claimed the mayor said he would punch him in the nose if he didn't keep moving.

One sign read, in bold red letters, "Epley's Slave Market." Another read, "Deport Illegal Aliens," and a third placard had the words, "Hiring Illegal Aliens is Against the Law."

The ironic fact was there seemed to be almost as many reporters covering and photographing the protest as there were protesters. However, one of the protesters vowed to return next week with hundreds of people -- a prospect that made one of the police officers chuckle.

Yes, democracy was at work on that glorious morning on Harvest Lane in Southampton. The people's voices were being heard as they practiced free speech on the neighborhood streets of Southampton. "It is never easy to be the one who decides who gets what, where, when, and how," as old professor Purcell defined politics that first day at GWU in Political Science 101. Mayor Mark Epley is learning the cost of making unpopular decisions firsthand. In the end, the ballot box is where his policies will be evaluated. A statement made by President Andrew Jackson best describes how most public officials across the country are handling this issue, calling them "mugwonks" -- meaning they were sitting on the fence of the issue, with their mugs on one side and their "wonks" on the other. Eventually, something must be done on the national stage as well as the local stage before something ugly and tragic happens. The fact that workers are here illegally must be weighed with costs to local governments -- the fact they are human beings cannot be missed, either. The political process can no longer ignore this issue.

There were no supporters of the mayor and his decisions at the protest against his policies on day workers. The protestors were gone by eleven a.m. -- only the two black police cars remained on each side of the Mayor's home. The scene portrayed an embattled Mayor's home needing security because of a difficult decision he made. Ours is a country of laws, but enforcing the law is not always easy.