Today's boycott

I haven't blogged about today's boycott by illegal immigrants because I've had mixed feelings about it. I generally don't go for boycotts unless it's a last resort. In this case, I felt the immigrants were beginning to gain the sympathy of the public, and I feared the boycott might reverse that trend.

Nonetheless, the boycott seems to be getting favorable coverage by the media, so who knows?

Illegal immigrants made their point Monday: Without them, Americans would pay higher prices and a lot of work wouldn't get done. As nationwide demonstrations thinned the work force in businesses from meat-packing plants to construction sites to behind the counter at McDonald's, economists said there can be no dispute within the context of the contentious immigration issue that the group wields significant clout in the U.S. economy.

Update: Here's what Georgia10 at DailyKos has to say:

Today, between classes, I attended the Chicago immigration protest. Some call it a rally, but it is, at its core, a protest against H.R. 4437. Sign after sign referenced that piece of legislation. There were thousands of people here on the corner of State and Jackson alone (early estimates I hear place the overall Chicago crowd between 300,000-500,000). For over three hours or so, the protesters chanted "U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!". Non-stop. Their chants were broken only by a thunderous roar of cheers as the trains on the Loop passed by.

I saw streaming in front of me a sea of people, carrying for the most part huge American flags (I saw a couple of Greek flags too, which brought a smile to my face). A small boy, about 10 years old I would guess, marched with a handwritten sign that said "I am not a terrorist." A mother with a child had taped a sign reading "Deportation= Broken Families" to her baby's stroller. "We work hard for this country," read another bright orange sign. Many signs read "No Human Being Is Illegal." I'm sure there were counter-protesters, but I didn't see any from my viewpoint.

It's difficult to describe the energy that radiated from the mass of humanity before me. Their chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" caused this section of the city to pulsate. Whether you believe protests are effective or not, whether you agree with those protesting or not, it's hard to deny that these people, with their mere presence, have proved that the art of protest is still alive in the streets of America.