Berkeley - At last, reality rears its lovely head.

For months, the immigration debate has been hijacked by some of the nastiest, most jingoistic and dumbest politicians around. In the name of national security, the House of Representatives passed a bill in December that will turn the 12 million undocumented residents of the United States into felons and build a Berlin-like wall between the United States and Mexico.

But finally last week, the immigrant tormenters got a look at the men, women and children who live without papers in places like Charlotte, Atlanta and Phoenix, but feel strongly enough about their adopted country and friends to take to the streets. In numbers that surprised organizers in Los Angeles, more than half a million immigrants and their allies marched against the House bill and offered a spirited celebration of immigration.

Their message was clear. Sen. Gilbert Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, told reporters, "Immigrants want to work legally, drive legally, study legally." And, "Yes they can" or "Si se puede!", the marchers proclaimed on signs that bobbed among American, Mexican and other national flags.

The rallies offer yet more proof that that the punitive measures that some in Congress propose are completely out of touch with the reality of why we have 12 million undocumented people living within our borders and how they live in our midst.

While immigrant tormenters like the former California Governor Pete Wilson, Representative Tom Tancredo from Colorado and their allies on talk radio have spewed hate, American employers have opened their doors. Communities have too and in the last month, some have taken steps to declare their borders sanctuaries for the undocumented.

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