The Immigrant

“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God” (Lev. 19:33-34.) ESV

            Respect for the law is one thing; animosity toward the immigrant is another.

            We are blessed to live in a country whose ideals reflect a respect for the immigrant. This attitude has paid dividends.

            Peter Carl Goldmark arrived in the United States in the 1930s and applied for U.S. citizenship. He also applied for a job at NBC but was turned down. Later, CBS hired him.

            At that time, CBS entertained mainly in the field of radio, as television was in its infancy. Goldmark saw the future of television and urged his bosses to put a television antenna on top of the Chrysler building. Four years later, while traveling in Canada, Goldmark screened for the first time the motion picture GONE WITH THE WIND. Enchanted by the color, he developed a method of transmitting color television signals within three months.

            World War II came along and Goldmark, working with engineers, designed devices to jam NAZI radar. After the war, Goldmark worked to develop the 33-1/3 Long Playing record, which dominated music for the next three decades–and which is still in high demand today in record collector stores.

            The 50s found Goldmark creating ingenious devices, such as the one designed to allow surgeons to observe photographs transmitted from the inside of a human stomach. However, he also took time to invent a tiny device allowing television viewers at home to replay programs without commercials–the forerunner of TiVo.

            Retiring in 1971, Goldmark’s mind continued to work. He envisioned establishing a network of 40 coast-to-coast TV channels connected by domestic satellites and cable television. These would offer a nationwide chain of movie theaters on one's home television, not to mention an avenue for providing voters an increased amount of information not offered by network television. Within the next 10 years, television owners had access to HBO and CNN.

            Peter Carl Goldmark is just one example of the immigrants who have entered the United States and permanently changed our lives and culture—for the better. The United States would not be so blessed were it not for immigrants.

            Again, I am not calling for the deliberate breaking of a nation's laws. What I am requesting is that you think about the attitude you are cultivating toward the immigrant. Perhaps that attitude should include gratitude.

Source of Peter Carl Goldmark—William Manchester, THE GLORY AND THE DREAM, page 1190-1194

Five Things I Think I Think (with a nod to Peter King for this idea)

1. Among the baseball writers, I consider Jane Leavy a favorite. Last week, I completed reading her biography of Mickey Mantle called THE LAST BOY. While I did not enjoy this book as much as I did her biography of Sandy Koufax, it was still a fascinating read.

            Leavy grew up a big fan of Mickey Mantle. Adulthood and research yielded a more complex view toward man and human being.

            I can now probably say my prayers at night--thanking God I was not born into the Mantle family. Long chronicled as a serial adulterer and debilitated alcoholic, Leavy helps the reader understand what it is like to have a husband and father (Mantle),who fits into those categories.

            Mantle created a ghastly life for his family. He was the epitome of a self-destructive athlete.

            He spoke with poignant truth at his last press conference when he beseeched the children of the land, “I'd like to say to kids out there, if you're looking for a role model, this is a role model. Don't be like me.”

            Leavy breaks new ground. She reveals that a half-sister molested Mantle when he was a boy.  Surely this sad reality contributed to an anger that later manifested itself in his womanizing.

            Thousands (maybe millions) of boys grew up desiring to live the life of Mickey Mantle. This biography allows the reader to see behind the façade, which provokes the realization that one would never want to exchange lives with the subject.

2. I saw HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE over the weekend. I now need to see the last two movies. I hope to do that this week. I finished the last book four years ago. They were marvelous.

3. I really enjoyed speaking at the MacArthur Park church of Christ in San Antonio last year. If anybody from Mac Park is reading this blog, I am looking forward to sharing with you from Psalm 84 this Wednesday night.

4. Welcome back from vacation, Peter King. I read his blog every Monday—MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK. Every July, King takes four weeks off from writing. I have been reading his blog for almost ten years now. King is outstanding, writing about a host of subjects in addition to football. Here’s the link to this week’s edition: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/peter_king/07/24/labor/index.html

5. Speaking of Peter King, he passed along this snippet about Judge Judy (clarification: not my wife, Judy) from “Andrew Goldman's interview with Judge Judy in the June 26 New York Times Sunday magazine: Judge Judy works five days per month ... and makes $45 million a year.” Not only that, “Her 24,000-square-foot home in Connecticut contains a snoring room -- an extra room for guests who snore.”

         That’s the kind of extra information you get from Peter King’s blog!