Fear is a real and spontaneously generated emotion. Whether the fear is generated from rational or irrational phenomenon, the fear is real even if the stimulus for it is not. Fear expresses itself. Fight of flight. Fight turns into protectionism and nativism. And this is not new. The history of nativism is seen in many decent people over generations. Whether it is Ben Franklin in 1751 talking about the swarthy skinned Germans who will never learn English, the Ku Klux Klan in the 20th century, television news pundits or our own friends and neighbors today talking about whatever "other" that may harm us.
I am looking forward to reading
Not Fit for Our Society: Immigration and Nativism in America
recommended by a pastor friend when we chatted in DC last week. If you've read the book, let me know. If you've noticed some fear driven nativism in your own soul, it would be interesting to talk about that.
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