For The Record

Sigh. I’ve been interviewed at least a dozen times about “the immigration issue” and, not surprisingly, found the coverage to be lacking, especially when it is a television reporter doing the interview. I’ve learned to speak in short, crisp sound bites, and do my best to “stay on message”. I know that even the most thorough reporter will only have a half-minute at best of air time to present their story. I was hoping that would not be the case when dealing with print media. To be fair, the reporter that called to interview me was courteous and professional, and, I am aware that it is the editors that decide on the length and scope of the article, but, damn, I hoped the hour or so spent on the phone would have yielded more than this quote:

“At the risk of sounding new-agey, it’s almost like there has been some kind of collective consciousness that has kicked in,” he said. “I really don’t believe that the majority of people like to see other people dehumanized, and that’s what was going on.”

The article is here. While the reporter is correct that using thread comments as a gauge to determine the broader public attitude on a given subject is indeed unscientific, it is entirely possible that it is no less accurate than a telephone poll. The article makes it seem as though I based my assertions on what gets posted here at The Coyote Chronicles. In fact, I mentioned at least four other local bloggers, and I paid homage to two very good aggregators, Nashville is Talking (which includes Volunteer Voters), and Music City Bloggers.

I like bloggers. The very act of sitting down and typing out your thoughts means that you are engaged and paying attention. Even if I disagree with you, I respect the fact that you have an opinion, and that you don’t have your head in the sand. Even those that don’t blog, but who read and comment make an important contribution.

Bah. Anyway, I had hoped to draw attention to the fact that from what I have read in countless blogs this past year or so, people’s attitudes toward undocumented workers seem to be significantly changing. During the interview, I was careful to repeatedly point out that I attribute this to the belief that, at their core, most people are fair and compassionate. Instead of knee-jerk, nativist rhetoric, I am noticing more thoughtful viewpoints, again, even from those who disagree with my own.

This, as Newscoma would say, is of the good.