This shout out by Pete Buttigieg on Latino policy wins my support. I’ll explain why.

First, (full disclosure) simple human bias and subjective circumstantial experience. As a native of the state of Texas I have lived through the transformation of Latinos becoming within a few percentage points of the largest ethnic group in a very ethnically diverse Texas. For reasons uncertain to me (chance, unconscious, other, combination of some or all of these factors) numerous Latino families have become integral to my life — professionally and personally — and it has become my personal “hot button”. Like the environmental crisis, health reform, globalization, reducing violence … I believe immigration to be a highly multifaceted and complex issue. Rather than polemic argument I embrace the idea that nearly all points of view, however much at odds, have some valid perspectives. The problem is not who is “right” and who is “wrong” — the solution for optimal immigration policy is open mindedness, adaptivity, innovation and compromise with large doses of honest/transparent trial and error initiatives.

Second, with “hands on” and the ability to name names and provide data I believe that paradoxically if we as Americans want controlled and secure borders, “great” trade agreements with neighbors to our south and reduce the chaos and violence in Central America and South America then Pete’s plan of normalizing and naturalizing (embracing) our current Latino population is the best path — not to mention a boon for our economy and tax base. Law and order is contagious and exportable. The best border control is knowledgeable self enforcement.

Third, apocalyptic as environmental, privacy, health, homelessness, violence and other existential crisis are … I believe they are symptomatic not root cause. In my view root cause is our consciousness (individual and collective — assuming collective exists). For me, if we are going to change our consciousness there could be no better way than exercising 50% of the equation put forth in the Christian New Testament attributed to Jesus himself, “love … your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength … the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” What better way to practice this “great commandment” than to work through immigration issues? Environmental, healthcare, societal, economic fairness and living wage follows a shift towards enlightened self-interest and benevolent consciousness as surely as day follows night.