wkmac
Well-Known Member
Social Scientists, Schooling and the Acculturation of Immigrants in 19th Century America
The authors of this piece are Leonard Liggio who at the time was in the Department of American Studies, State University of New York at Old Westbury and today of Law Research Professor at George Mason University. Joseph Peden was Department of History Baruch College and has written or co-authored several works on historical interests. He may now be deceased but unable to verify either way.
The article although 16 pages long is very enlightening but what surprised me was the attitude even back in the day near the founding era where the child was seen even then as a type of property of the state. An attitude quite frankly a bit hidden from us IMO and thus we believe a more modern manifestation. Over the last several years I read a lot on the so-called progressive era in America and a very common thread of when so-called progressivism eg larger state makes it's biggest gains is during periods of intense immigration. The State almost fears a loss of control to localist customs and ideals and thus imposes measures to assure national conformity and loyality to the state mission. It thus uses our own natural fears of self preservation and preservation of native means and ways as a mechanism that in due course even entraps ourselves.
I don't deny immigration (legal and illegal) don't bring problems and I speak from a very firsthand experience most likely no one else here has or will ever experience and I hope to God you don't. I'll also tell you from firsthand experience that I do understand the reaction and the fear many feel on this subject. Especially those who see it every day and live around it. Been there, done that, still got several T-shirts. However, I also fear the slippery slope as well so you have to almost disconnect all emotion and step back and look at this thing with a Spock-like approach of logic and reason and it is hard to do, I won't kid you on that. Learning the history of it all IMO is a good starting point and thus the reason I linked the above.
As another aside to this, so many today scream and yell of the cradle to grave mentality of not only Washington DC but all gov't as a whole (me too). As you read the above, keep in mind the attitude even in early America of the child being a type property of the state and the slippery slope of where that could lead 200 years later. What are we doing today that is the slippery slope for our children in the future 200 years from now?
I'll also warn you that if you have some ideal of the American myth, you might be confronted in this article with some troubling facts and thus the reason some aren't as quick to latch on to certain ideas of what America should be. You know, the lesser folks not born into the "destiny of God" group!
It's long past due IMO that we drag all that dirty laundry out to the light of day for all to see and you might be surprised going out the other side at how easy then it is to sell freedom and liberty for all!
jmo
The authors of this piece are Leonard Liggio who at the time was in the Department of American Studies, State University of New York at Old Westbury and today of Law Research Professor at George Mason University. Joseph Peden was Department of History Baruch College and has written or co-authored several works on historical interests. He may now be deceased but unable to verify either way.
The article although 16 pages long is very enlightening but what surprised me was the attitude even back in the day near the founding era where the child was seen even then as a type of property of the state. An attitude quite frankly a bit hidden from us IMO and thus we believe a more modern manifestation. Over the last several years I read a lot on the so-called progressive era in America and a very common thread of when so-called progressivism eg larger state makes it's biggest gains is during periods of intense immigration. The State almost fears a loss of control to localist customs and ideals and thus imposes measures to assure national conformity and loyality to the state mission. It thus uses our own natural fears of self preservation and preservation of native means and ways as a mechanism that in due course even entraps ourselves.
I don't deny immigration (legal and illegal) don't bring problems and I speak from a very firsthand experience most likely no one else here has or will ever experience and I hope to God you don't. I'll also tell you from firsthand experience that I do understand the reaction and the fear many feel on this subject. Especially those who see it every day and live around it. Been there, done that, still got several T-shirts. However, I also fear the slippery slope as well so you have to almost disconnect all emotion and step back and look at this thing with a Spock-like approach of logic and reason and it is hard to do, I won't kid you on that. Learning the history of it all IMO is a good starting point and thus the reason I linked the above.
As another aside to this, so many today scream and yell of the cradle to grave mentality of not only Washington DC but all gov't as a whole (me too). As you read the above, keep in mind the attitude even in early America of the child being a type property of the state and the slippery slope of where that could lead 200 years later. What are we doing today that is the slippery slope for our children in the future 200 years from now?
I'll also warn you that if you have some ideal of the American myth, you might be confronted in this article with some troubling facts and thus the reason some aren't as quick to latch on to certain ideas of what America should be. You know, the lesser folks not born into the "destiny of God" group!
It's long past due IMO that we drag all that dirty laundry out to the light of day for all to see and you might be surprised going out the other side at how easy then it is to sell freedom and liberty for all!
jmo
