Advice to Marchers

A large pro-immigration march is planned in Phoenix today. For what it's worth, if I had been brought in early to advise the march organizers, I would have said:

• Do what was done in Dallas: march on a weekend. Disrupting traffic and slowing down commuters is not a great way to win support from the uncommitted.
• Asking people to bring American, not Mexican, flags is now going to be seen as a public relations device and not a reflection of the genuine allegiance of the marchers, even though the vast majority may well have strong feelings for this country. It's good that you're trying to correct a previous blunder, but don't expect a lot from this change.
• Don't encourage students to march. Encourage them to stay in school. What you lose in numbers, you'll gain in respect, and emphasizing education has been a key factor in the success of immigrant groups.
• Try to control the crazies. Those California demonstrators with signs indicating zero loyalty to the United States and a desire not to assimilate constituted the worst sort of counter-demonstration.
• Avoid any entitlement language. That's hard for the average citizen to accept when groups using it may not have a legal right to be here in the first place.
• Don't paint your opponents as racist. Most Americans favor immigration, but they want it done legally. They also don't want to turn around in 15 years and discover that a variation of Quebec has been created in the Southwest. That's not racism; it's common sense.
• Recognize that many people - and I'm one of them - aren't entirely sure what you want. Your message has been hazy. Do you want open borders? Do you want immediate amnesty for anyone who's here illegally or will you make exceptions? Are you willing to support a fence under certain circumstances? That vagueness of purpose will dilute your success because it will allow others to fill in the blanks. Some of those blanks will be filled with fears. And a fearful person is not an ally. Strive to comfort, not confront.