I was reading the local paper this morning and one of the major news stories is how the local hispanic leadership does not want to take part in a proposed one day boycott of anglo-businesses that is suppose to happen tomorrow.

I just don't see this as a smart choice. The protests did enough to alienate some people who are sympathetic to their cause. This could easily backfire on them, if they have little to no economic impact on tomorrow's business.

Someone better tell'em Corona is brewed by Molson.

Good to know. I was going to go buy a CD today, but I'll wait until tomorrow to make sure I make up for at least one lost sale.

While I have no beef with the idea behind it, it won't make much impact. It's a lot like the one day gas station boycotts. All you're doing is shifting the sales to a different day. In order for a boycott to work, you have to sustain it over time.

It'll be interesting to see what happens tomorrow. Some areas of the country will be profoundly affected. There is some speculation that over 1 million willl be on the streets of LA.

As far as "white businesses"... it is interesting to see how quickly we want to characterize a "them" against "us" ... a great many businesses tomorrow will close in support of the day, this is similar to what in France is called a general strike, or boycotts in the civil and worker rights movements in this country. The businesses closing here are both white and brown owned. The "us" is mixed, just as the "them" is mixed. We are addicted to cartoon thoughts about complex issues.

They go down so much easier when they're small and candy-coated. Everybody wants clear deliniations, a good guy and a bad guy.

Who are you calling an immigrant, pilgrim?

I think the idea of A Day Without Hispanics isn't so much to protest as to give people/businesses/the goverment a concrete idea of just how significant a segment of this country they are. Like one of those "What Would the World Be Like If All the Homosexuals Suddenly Disappeared?" alternative newsweekly op-ed "What If" pieces.

Sadly, I suspect this is too nuanced a concept to sink in.

Oh, and...

it won't have any economic impact. all these purchases just get put off a day...what company looks at their profits on a daily basis and says "oh shit, look at may 1 bob. we really took a hit that day. better start respecting those spics."