Just finished 'Mexican Martyrdom' and wow—this isn't just history, it's a warning label for today's political climate. The parallels between Calles' Mexico and certain... *ahem*... current regimes are unnerving. When governments weaponize institutions against faith, we all lose.
The firsthand accounts hit differently. Priests executed for Mass, families torn apart—it reads like dystopian fiction except it happened. What guts me? The US funded this persecution while claiming moral high ground. Some things never change.
Pro tip: Pair this with 'Blood Drenched Altars' for full context. Parsons' journalistic style makes the horror visceral without melodrama. That chapter where he describes finding bullet-riddled rosaries? Chills.
Funny how the Morena party today still carries that anti-Catholic DNA. History doesn't repeat but it sure rhymes hard. This book should be required reading before voting booths.