Menos Threatening Letters, Please

A few days ago, I saw a story about a promotion a southern pizza chain was running in which they would accept pesos as well as dollars. Pizza Patron caters to a Hispanic clientele, and news of the promotion brought them deals. It also brought them death threats.

Ever since it was announced, the company's been receiving angry emails. According to the CNN story, they carry such charming messages as "Quit catering to the damn illegal Mexicans."

So there are problems. This story should tell you a great deal about the state of the immigration debate in Texas, or across the south. Things as benign as a pizza joint advertising to its targeted demographic arouse the passions of people who are already so angry they send death threats to a restaurant. In light of that, in light of that kind of mood, who can make a reasonable policy argument?

As I write this, a commercial for Domino's Pizza is on television. It features heavy metal music; heavy metal guitars are visible; a supposed heavy metal singer screeches at me about how HOTT this pizza deal is. It didn't make me want to kill anyone. Then again, it isn't tied to some larger issue, other than how one feels about metal.

To build a fence along the border, or not. To ban illegal immigrants from renting property in Farmers Branch, or not. To ban businesses from hiring undocumented workers, or not. This is an issue that is complex largely because so few of the options are politically palatable. Expect it to get a lot of airtime during this session, both in Austin and DC.