Border Threats, circa 1919

This isn't the first time Americans have freaked out from essentially non-existent threats to national security crossing the Mexican border.

This New York Times article from November 24, 1919 might as well come from 2010 with a few words changed. In 1919, American leaders were freaking out about radicals and Chinese crossing the Mexican border into the United States and threatening our national institutions. Of course, this proved to be vastly overblown--people were crossing the border illegally, but to work, not to assassinate the president. Today, people are also crossing the border and again, they are crossing to work. We laugh at our ancestors worries from 90 years ago; in 90 years, Americans may well shake their head at our actions today.