San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial

Here we go again

Don't repeat immigration debate mistakes

2:00 a.m. July 16, 2009

Now that Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has disclosed his plans to introduce an immigration reform bill by Labor Day, Americans should brace for a return to a spirited debate. This being the case, we would like to see the discussion go in a different direction than it did last time, when for the most part it either went in circles or down dead-end roads.

When Congress last discussed immigration reform, in the fall of 2007, too many lawmakers and ordinary Americans had an all-or-nothing mentality, with neither side in a mood to compromise. Both sides wasted far too much time putting themselves on pedestals, challenging the motives of opponents and lobbing insults. Those on the right were called “racist,â€