Omnivore - Paul Luna blasts new immigration law

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The following commentary is from Paul Luna, chef-owner of Lunacy Black Market. Luna also posted this on his own blog with the title: "HB 87: Gov. Deal Signs Bill Satisfying Good Ol' Boys, Alienating Hardworking Americans & Immigrants."

By Paul Luna

In my early 20s, I was praised as a rising star chef by Atlanta Magazine for my culinary talents. What most people don't know was that it was hard-earned praise. People always ask me how I learned my craft. It's simple, I worked for a French chef (for free), so I could learn how to cook and run my own business. That's when I learned that being a chef isn't just about cooking. It's about scrubbing pots and pans, mopping floors and doing everything that Gov. Deal and other lawmakers wouldn't be willing to do.

I am insulted that legislators and Gov. Deal would deny immigrants the opportunity to live out their "unalienable rights" to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These rights are hard-earned and shouldn't be denied to those who work hard to create the thriving economic centers we would like to see in our State of Georgia—or anywhere else in the country.