An American Indian couldn’t help seeing the irony when his daughter-in-law was rejected for a job for not knowing how to speak Spanish.
“She couldn’t get a job at a McDonald’s restaurant in Loveland,” said Tom Meyers, 75, a member of the Cheyenne tribe. “I’m just afraid of what is going to happen to the country. If we don’t close that border, we’re going to be in big trouble.”
So Thursday morning, Meyers drove to an unveiling of a billboard sponsored by radio talk-show host Peter Boyles, who opposes illegal immigration.
Meyers said he was disappointed in the billboard’s location, 2101 California St.
“Who … is going to see it here?” he said at the conclusion of Boyles’ morning show on KHOW, done Thursday in a parking lot in front of the sign.
Up to 150 people attended the show, according to Boyles’ producer.
“I think the issue of illegal immigration is the pre-eminent issue in America today,” Boyles said. “It touches every domestic policy in our country.”
The billboard has an image representing three fallen soldiers with a message: “Mr. President, Mr. Governor, Mr. Mayor. They did not die for … ILLEGAL SANCTUARY.”
Greg Hollenback, producer of the radio show, said listeners making $1 and $5 donations paid for the billboard and another one on Sixth Avenue east of Interstate 25. The billboards will be up for the remainder of the month, he said.
Though an estimated 50,000 demonstrators clogged downtown Denver on March 25 to show their opposition to the criminalization of illegal immigration, by far the majority of Americans favor such measures, Boyles said.
But Richard Sandoval, 65, said people against illegal immigration sometimes cross the boundary of politics to racism.
“When my grandchildren get called wetbacks, that hurts them because they are from here,” Sandoval said.
He said his children lose jobs to illegal immigrants in the summer, but they are all grouped together with them.
But most at the billboard supported immigration reform.
Helping to pay for the billboards was one way they can make their opinion heard, Boyles said.
“I don’t know how you can help but be in the thick of it,” he said.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-820-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
