During the 1988 election, the fortieth President had convinced America that it was necessary to install a hi-tec security fence to curb the flow of illegal immigrants from Mexico. And draconian measures to control illegal aliens had resulted in the largest reverse movement since 1954.

"America is becoming Mexamerica"Due to waves of illegal immigration, it was of course a moot point as to whether or not the south-western region was effectively returning to Mexico. Or whether in fact the south-western regional rightfully belonged to Mexico. Contemporary historians were still arguing over the detail of whether Davy Crocket died in the defence of the Alamo, or having surrendered, was brutally executed on Santa Anna's orders.

Ironically, a border designed to prevent northern immigration had trapped a fugitive of justice heading south. And Buchanan's generalisations about brown-skinned individuals now hit a major snag because the alleged criminal was "The Juice" one of American's best-loved celebrities, accused of murdering his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman in their Los Angeles condominium.

Buchanan might have been forgiven for wishing that Simpson had escaped across the border into Mexico. Because his double murder charge meant no bail and a possible death penalty verdict if convicted because double homicide is a capital offense in California. With a seemingly overwhelming volume of evidence strongly suggesting his guilt, Simpson hired the best criminal defence team money could buy. The country now faced a perculiarly American soul-searching crisis as the vectors of race, justice, power, religion and money converged on a common point.