Sunday’s Washington Post carries a fine letter on immigration by George W. Grayson, a Professor at the College of William and Mary and a disgruntled veteran Democrat.

Immigration Myopia in Virginia Sunday, September 9, 2007

starts resoundingly:

For Virginia’s Democrats to cede the issue of illegal immigration to Republicans in this fall’s legislative contests would be as socially irresponsible as it would be politically myopic… Communities as diverse as Culpeper and Herndon, and Loudoun and Prince William counties, are seeking to curb the influx of illegal aliens (calling them “undocumented workers” is akin to referring to bank robbers as “unofficial withdrawal specialists”).

and precisely defines the issue:

Although they are denigrated as “xenophobes,” “racists” and “nativists” by special pleaders, local leaders are responding to concerns about school crowding, emergency-room access, neighborhoods blighted by old vehicles, trash-strewn yards, houses bulging with occupants, ubiquitous signs in Spanish and the proliferation of gangs.

The letter proceeds to make a series of succinct arguments, noting the absence of the usual “timeout” permitting assimilation since the 1965 wall-breaching, unfairness to legal applicants, and adverse effect on income distribution:

it’s housekeepers, construction workers, hospitality industry employees and child-care providers, who feel abandoned when the party of Truman, Kennedy and Roosevelt elevates the interests of lawbreakers over the well-being of these forgotten blue- and pink-collar citizens.

In conclusion, Grayson particularly notes the damage to the black community:

Finally, in scorning rigorous law enforcement, Democrats are compromising opportunities for African Americans, who have been our party’s most faithful backers in the Old Dominion

quoting Carol Swain on the fecklessness of the Congressional Black Caucus

An interesting aspect is that Grayson has spent almost forty years studying Latin America, apparently drawing some negative conclusions (including about the region’s immigration role).

Congratulate Professor Grayson.

Joe Guzzardi’s fourth immigration podcast hosted by Todd Hartley of PHXNews.com is now available. Listen to it here.

Guzzardi discusses his most recent VDARE.COM column about how alien sob stories have advanced our cause for true immigration reform. And Joe talks about the need to focus more attention the perils of legal immigration.

Peter Brimelow also criticized the effects of legal immigration in his earlier podcast. Listen to it here.

The other day, I was talking to Peter Brimelow, and he had to interrupt his hard work of editing to go actually mow his own lawn, with the kind of conservative mower that you push with your actual hands.

I said it could be worse, you could have to mow the whole thing with a scythe–here’s an essay by Hilaire Belloc describing his mowing a two acre field with a single helper, two scythes, and a gallon jar of small ale.

Well then, this man I spoke of offered to help me, and he went to get his scythe. But I went into this house and brought out a gallon jar of small ale for him and for me; for the sun was now very warm, and small ale goes well with mowing. When we had drunk some of this ale in mugs called “I see you,” we took each a swathe, he a little behind me because he was the better mower; and so for many hours we swung, one before the other, mowing and mowing at the tall grass of the field. And the sun rose to noon and we were still at our mowing; and we ate food, but only for a little while, and we took again to our mowing. And at last there was nothing left but a small square of grass, standing like a square of linesmen who keep their formation, tall and unbroken, with all the dead lying around them when the battle is over and done.11. The Mowing of a Field by Hilaire Belloc. Morley, Christopher, ed. 1921. Modern Essays

Anyhow, for those of you who don’t want to do this, and who don’t feel like hiring illegals aliens to mow your lawn, my early article Mowing Alone pointed out that it’s possible to have this done by a robot, see FriendlyRobotics.com.