The donut shop

I recently spent a few hours drawing in a donut shop in a western suburb of Boston.  I was hoping to talk to somebody about what they want from elected officials.  The only person I spoke to was a man who admired my drawing.

I did discover something interesting, though.  The man behind the counter was an immigrant - either from India or Pakistan, I would guess.  The donut shop serves a largely blue collar community.  Young men, appearing to be construction workers, came in and out, grabbing a coffee and a donut or two, before or after their shift.

There was a friendly, comfortable banter between every customer and the fellow working behind the counter.  These people were familiar with each other.  Nobody felt threatened by somebody because of their accent or the color of their skin.  I might have been the most threatening person there.

It is tragic that there is such frightened and angry talk about "illegals" today.  Perhaps everybody needs to visit a donut shop like the one I drew in, and get a little perspective on immigration.