I need a pep talk. I'm terribly down about the Orange Idiot's immigration stance.

[RandomAccess]

3. I can't give you a pep talk -- just commiseration

and agreement.

A decade or so ago we lived in a house that needed a new roof. Ouch, expensive. The crew were all immigrants, very few if any of whom spoke English. It was hot summertime in rural Georgia. They arrived before 7 and got to work right away and didn't stop til about 7 pm. (Drove me crazy, actually.) I do think they took off about an hour for lunch, which they'd brought themselves. I marveled at their energy, dedication and industriousness.

I'll tell you something else. While I can't condone illegal immigration, I've thought about it often: those who dare come have incredible drive, courage, and commitment. They want a better life for themselves and their children and are willing to risk everything to get it. It's not that they don't know that the journey is fraught with peril, it's that their dreams mean more, are more compelling. (And, who knows, they may be a little loco to boot -- in denial about the difficulties.) And then they get here and very few of them speak the language at all, and they can't possibly have that much money in their pockets. This kind of drive and energy are priceless, and precusely the kind of VALUES we need more of, IMO. For those who have made it and are here, and are law abiding and earnest, I want them to be able to stay. I value and salute them.