April 16, 2008 11:51 AM
Last night's event was standing room only and was very educational. I was blogging live and trying to share all the great information that was being spoken about with you. Here are some of the highlights:
We started the night with opening remarks from David Verduin, a business owner and President of the Riverside, NJ Coalition of Business Owners and Landlords. He drove three hours to share his story with us and we are very thankful for that because his remarks really hit home.
Next the panel was introduced and we heard from Matthew Crosson, President of the Long Island Association, on why he worries that some of the Suffolk bills aimed at illegal immigrants could have long-lasting impacts on Long Island.
David Nyce, Mayor of Greenport, spoke about how he could relate to Riverside's small town atmosphere...both towns are one square mile and had an influx of immigrants. Luckily for David, he finds Greenport to be a very accepting and welcoming community.
Our moderator, Andrea Batista Schlesinger, Executive Director of the Drum Major Institute, turned the tables on our panelists and asked if there were legitimate reasons for local governments to pass anti-immigrant laws.
Using the example of the movie "A Day Without a Mexican," Andrea asked what Long Island would look like without immigrants. This also brought-up conversation about who needs to step-up on Long Island to work for immigrants' rights.
Finally it was time for the audeince to speak and some interesting comments and questions came about. one of the most interesting comments came from David Nyce, after Andrea asked him what his feelings were on the recent raids in Greenport. He was clearly upset by them...
We heard some last words from our panelists that really showed that people have hope if everyone could be more understanding. I think Matthew Crosson summed it up the best, saying "Long Island will be at its best when we accept and embrace diversity."
Great program, well run.
By carmen April 16, 2008 09:55 PM
This event was so timely - I felt priveledged to have a close-up look at what happens when anti-immigrant legislation becomes a reality. Thank you, LI WINS, for another great event.
By Van April 18, 2008 09:52 AM
A very good topic. It gives everyone another way to look at immigration and the realities of poor planning or good planning. Thanks
By Ruth April 23, 2008 07:55 AM
We really should make these video clips mandatory watching for our elected officials...
By Lisa Votino-Tarrant May 1, 2008 12:04 PM