FOOD FOR THOUGHT: What might Georgia's HB 87 mean for Gwinnett?
Carole Townsend  Carole Townsend  EDITOR'S NOTE: Carole
Townsend, a correspondent for the Daily Post, is beginning a new
blog called Food For Thought. It is available online at
www.gwinnettdailypost.com/townsend.  House Bill 87 went into
effect on July 1 here in Georgia. An attempt to crack down on
illegal immigration, this controversial legislation has spurred
marches, calls for boycotts and, some say, racial division.
Georgia is experiencing some of the same blowback that Arizona
did when state lawmakers passed similar legislation, but the
questions remain: Is HB 87 necessary? Is it morally sound? Is it
legally sound? Will the bill accomplish what lawmakers intended?
On the "pro" side of the argument, supporters of the new law say
that weeding out illegal immigrants will provide much-needed
relief for public school systems groaning under the staggering
numbers of children enrolled. They say that the drain on the
state's health care system wil