Chicago Tribune | Ethnic groups rally for immigrant rights and against HR4337, which places much stricter guidelines for immigration. It is opposed by a broad spectrum of church, labor, and minority-rights groups. It is supported by… “people” like the Minutemen and a group called the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which sounds much more tasteful and level-headed than the “Keep the dam’ furrin wetbacks out” Club.

Immigrants: 100,000. Minutemen: Oh, about t’ree or four.

The large turnout was partly in response to urgings from the Chicago Catholic Archdiocese, evangelical and socially-progressive churches, and a Hispanic radio announcer called “El Pistolero,” who dropped his “Mexican Howard Stern” schtick to make serious and impassioned calls for a good turnout from his listeners. Thus an inspiring exercise in good old American democracy in action was set in place, as workers in the service industries walked off their jobs to attend the rally en masse.

The people, united, can never be divided.