Toxicology lesson.

There is, I think, a compelling historical analogy.

In the late fourth century AD, the Roman Empire was the greatest civilisation on the planet. But in the summer of 376, recorded the historian Ammianus Marcellinus, ‘terrifying rumours spread abroad that the peoples of the north were stirring up new and uncommonly great commotions’.

On the banks of the River Danube, along the empire’s Balkan frontier, Roman officials reported the arrival of tens of thousands of men, women and children, known to posterity as the Goths.

Poor, frightened and hungry, they had been driven west by another tribe, the Huns. Now they begged for shelter inside the Empire.

The Romans agreed. Across the river, in scenes rather like those this summer in the Mediterranean, came the Goths, though many were drowned in the desperate rush.

Many historians believe this was one of the great turning points in world history. From that moment, as successive waves of migrants poured across its frontiers, the Roman Empire bent, buckled and finally collapsed completely.^[1]

Note especially the elements of Roman kindness and willingness to welcome large numbers of foreigners to their lands.

Common decency morphs rapidly into contemptible weakness when boundaries are erased. Remember the movie about the gentleman and his manservant who gradually reverses the roles and comes to dominate his master? No one found that movie too recondite. Too, it would be the rare visitor to any faculty lounge in the country who isn't familiar with the necessity for psychological boundaries. Actual books have been written on this.

For those of us who still care about our kith and kin (dog whistle alert), our nation, and our borders, we must act from here on out with the bedrock principle of toxicology in mind: dose determines toxicity.

One immigrant is a contribution. 30,000,000 immigrants are an invading army.

Next time Speaker Boehner, Sen. Rubio, or Rand Paul take out their hankies about the deficiencies of our system, keep that in mind. What they say about immigration is a sign of the sickness of otherwise smart people. Patriots in days past didn't fret about broken "systems." They fought invaders and threw them the hell back and out.

[Queue liberal chorus of "But . . . ."]

Notes
^[1] "Another boat packed with migrants heads for Europe as it's revealed Britain's population has grown by 5million in 12 years: This human tide will be the crisis of the century, warns DOMINIC SANDBROOK." By Dominic Sandbrook, Mail Online, 6/28/14.

H/t: Crusader Rabbit.