Bruce D Thatcher

"How can we reduce death and injury caused by guns?" is the wrong question. A much better question is "how can we reduce the overall rates of suicide and violent crime?" Gun Mania brings that question to the forefront by looking at the history of America and four other nations to identify why guns are a core element of only the American culture, and implications for reducing our rate of violent deaths. The United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand were all settled and developed, initially, by migrants from the United Kingdom. But key differences in the development circumstances led to guns becoming a core cultural element only in America. Because guns are not significant in the cultures of these other countries, they have been able to implement substantial gun control. Because guns are a core element of the American culture, the sorts of gun measures that have been accepted in the other four countries generally will not work in America. When confronted with the problem of gun deaths, many want guns to be the problem. They're easy to see. Dealing with them should be simple and fast; just pass new laws to keep guns away from people who shouldn't have them, or from everyone. However, this approach hasn't, doesn't and won't work in America. A different strategy has far more potential for saving lives.

From 1789 to 1965, most Americans were generally satisfied with United States' immigration policy. But that changed in 1965 when Congress and the President, against the will of the people, began re-writing the immigration laws. America is still living with the cascading consequences because, as Meyer Burstein observed more than 20 years ago, immigration mistakes are big mistakes. They don't go away. They only get bigger.IMMIGRATION: How to Avoid its Perils and Make it Work is not about building better fences. It's about building better policies. It shows policy makers, pundits and laymen the underlying flaws in our immigration policy, and it presents a clear guide for reform.In this second book of his History Speaks Today series, Bruce Thatcher presents a meticulously researched survey of immigration policies used since 1790 by Australia, Canada, France, Mexico, Palestine, Singapore and the United States. Some have been very successful, and others have led to serious problems ... even disaster. Thatcher shows that the problems of America's present flawed policy are not rooted in illegal immigration (which is a problem), but rather in failure to follow the three simple rules for successful immigration policy.1.Clearly define the few (2-4) long-term national interests that are to guide immigration policy. (Six contradictory interests attempt to guide our present policy.)2.Design immigration laws, regulations and practices to sharply focus on the guiding interests. (Ours are fraught with inconsistencies, contradictions and service to special interests.)3.Ensure that immigrants assimilate into American society as rapidly as possible. Assimilation proceeds most effectively with educated immigrants who are fluent in English, here legally and intend to stay. (Present policy brings in and abets vast numbers who are uneducated, not English-literate, and who don't abandon former loyalties.)In IMMIGRATION, Thatcher argues that comprehensive reform is needed now to stop the cascading and permanent harm flowing from current policy. We must begin serious discussion of national interests to guide immigration policy for decades to come, policy that must include provisions to correct the most serious present flaws.-The maximum number of immigrants must become meaningful and managed.-America need not recruit or encourage anyone to immigrate, but we must not discourage desirable persons. Let the market work -A streamlined temporary/guest worker program is necessary to fill shortages.-The presence of undesirable aliens must be brought and held to very small numbers through effective border control and enforcement, free from political expediency.-Additional restrictions must apply to immigrant visa applicants: (1) denial of visas to persons who follow precepts of radical Islam -Salafiyyah, Wahhabism, violent jihad or Sharia law; (2) applicants must demonstrate general literacy appropriate for their age; and (3) applicants must be appropriately fluent in English.IMMIGRATION shows that the flow of unplanned elements into America is unrelenting. It makes clear that we must bypass the rhetorical diversion of illegal immigration and address overall immigration reform ... now