We were intrigued by a forum that took place at Concordia University Irvine last Friday, in which three speakers tackled different aspects of American immigration policy.
The speakers – Teresa Hernandez of the Lincoln Club of Orange County, Senior Pastor Tim Celek of The Crossing Church in Costa Mesa, and Ruben Navarrette Jr., a nationally syndicated columnist and CNN contributor – had “contrasting views” on immigration, reporter Bradley Zint writes in his Friday, October 12 article for the Daily Pilot, “Forum Focuses on Immigration Policy.”
Zint quotes Celek as saying that according to the Billy Graham Center, “less than one in 10 immigrants will ever be welcomed in the home of an American. [To] many of you here who have incredibly harsh, and I think sometimes uncaring, feelings: Have you ever had somebody in your home, other than to clean it or to mow it, but to break bread with?”
Of course, many different opinions come up in the article. It’s worth reading the story to see how the American “town hall” meeting lives on in new forms. You’ll have to judge for yourself whether this type of forum offers ways of openly discussing immigration reform and finding common ground.