Dan's Papers - June 19, 2009 - RUDE SOCIAL STUDIES LESSON IN EAST HAMPTON

They say education begins at home. But what about what happens on the drive to school?

At the East Hampton railroad station last Monday, just around the corner from John Marshall Elementary School, illegal immigration protestor Tom Wedell and another man, who did not want to be identified but described himself as a "man whose grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico," were holding signs protesting the Latino labor force that waits at the train station looking for a day's work. (Earlier in the morning, there was a third protestor as well.)

The signs included the provocative message all drivers who enter the Hamptons see at the 7-11 in Southampton that reads "When they jumped the fence they broke the law" - a sign proudly and relentlessly held by Wedell. But two new signs were added to the mix. One seemed to cross the line between freedom of speech and racial slur. It read: "Call 1-800-Adios." The other, held by the third man, read "DEPORT SWINE HUND," based perhaps on the faulty logic that solving the illegal immigrant situation would end swine flu.

The men were eyed by a policeman in a marked car who was there, perhaps, to guard against the situation turning into a physical confrontation. "Why are my tax dollars paying for that police officer to watch over us?" yelled the man of Mexican heritage, seemingly unaware of the tension between him and the Latinos who stood no more than 50 feet away.

Just a few blocks away is John Marshall. At this point in time, that school of Kindergarten through fifth graders is close to 50% Hispanic. For unknowing parents driving their children to school that morning, the protestors and police car were a rude awakening that likely prompted many questions from very young children of every race, very young children who play in the playground and learn songs in music class with their Hispanic schoolmates, and go to each other's birthday parties.

The two remaining protestors later Monday morning had ruffled some feathers of drivers and parents from the school. One driver pulled up to them and quipped, "Hey, I have some yard work for you guys to do. Can you help me out?"

This was answered with curse words from the protestors. "Why are you doing this?" said another. "Because America needs to wake up!" Wedell shouted. Within five minutes, another driver pulled up and gave the two men a thumbs up and a honk of the horn.

Needless to say, many residents are divided on this issue.

"Let me ask you a question," said the man of Mexican heritage, "How would you like it if some group came along and took away your work? Making it nearly impossible for you to earn a living?"

While his question was food for thought, the economic reality is that there have always been people willing to do work for less pay. In all lines of work, competition drives pay down, not up. That is a reality.

"I want the Federal government to do their job," said Wedell.

"Does that mean that you want a van to come here and round these people up with handcuffs and guns and then send them to a prison for standing here?"

"Oh here we go with Nazi Germany talk again," he said. "I want the federal government to enforce the law. That's what I want. America needs to wake up."

No matter how many times they were asked, neither protestor could fully explain what this meant, nor were they able to admit that illegal immigration is an extremely complex issue - not black and white. "For me, it's black and white," said Wedell.

Illegal immigration is a hot button issue that seems to rise and fall with the economy. As the economy declines, so does the influx of illegal immigrants. Nearly every media outlet has addressed that trend - in fact it was even the subject of a recent episode of "The Simpsons."

Among the issues for some Americans is that there should be greater effort for assimilation by immigrants who want to be here - learning English being a first step. Yet, ironically, there were the protestors, within a quarter mile of East Hampton's public school, where many children of immigrants participate in "English as a second language" classes daily.

Protestors stationed at this particular site, where children and classmates are introduced to prejudice in such a harsh, crude way, is shameful. Civics lessons should be left to teachers, let alone to the child's parents.

Immigration is a lightening rod issue on the East End and elsewhere. It will undoubtedly take time to resolve. In the meantime, consider the words of JFK, who said, "If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity."