On My Nightstand
If you pay attention to the “What’s on my nightstand” section of this blog with a list of what I’m reading, the book, The American Future: a history, has been on and off it for some time now.
Even though it is taking me forever to read (370 pages) it is a very interesting look at our history primarily through the lens of the 2008 presidential election as a jumping off point. The history is somewhat obscure (meaning I didn’t study this level of detail in my history classes in high school) but revealing.
One thing that struck me in last week’s reading. An excerpt: (edits are mine)
“The trouble with immigrants was that they were clannish … many fugitives from justice …ignorant of the language … huddled together in rickety little towns .. if they aren’t stopped soon, they will swamp the native population and culture.”
Sound somewhat familiar? Well these were the comments from Mexico about all the people flooding into the Texas republic in the late 1820s.
I’m not about to weigh in on the immigration debate but it would seem prudent to study a little border history; heck history in general, before we start establishing or changing policies about who gets to come into the United States and under what conditions.
Even though it is taking me forever to read (370 pages) it is a very interesting look at our history primarily through the lens of the 2008 presidential election as a jumping off point. The history is somewhat obscure (meaning I didn’t study this level of detail in my history classes in high school) but revealing.
One thing that struck me in last week’s reading. An excerpt: (edits are mine)
“The trouble with immigrants was that they were clannish … many fugitives from justice …ignorant of the language … huddled together in rickety little towns .. if they aren’t stopped soon, they will swamp the native population and culture.”
Sound somewhat familiar? Well these were the comments from Mexico about all the people flooding into the Texas republic in the late 1820s.
I’m not about to weigh in on the immigration debate but it would seem prudent to study a little border history; heck history in general, before we start establishing or changing policies about who gets to come into the United States and under what conditions.
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