Fencing This Nation Makes Us Liars and Cowards
My post on April 12 concerned illegal immigration, and in that post was my opinion that a fence to deter such illegal entry was absurd. I continue to hold that opinion, even though by separate e-mail others, who shared my rationale on all other points within that post, strongly disagreed, arguing that such a fence would be specifically to keep people out.
Because of that sentiment, I decided to be more specific in my reasoning for being adamantly anti fence.
First, we are and have always professed to be a nation of laws. Granted, we are too often blasé about our enforcement of certain laws, but they are there – on the books, so to speak. My argument against amnesty or guest worker privileges or any other form of ill considered ‘forgiveness’ is because we are speaking of illegal entry into this country. Illegal. That is the key point.
A fence – any fence – by its very existence and purpose establishes boundaries and seeks to exclude. Certainly the desire to fence the United States (impractical at the very least) would be establishing solid and visible boundary markers, but to say the fence would end illegal entry is merely to establish a new illusion. As any gardener, neighbor, or small business owner knows, a fence will not keep out a dog determined to dig under, or a rabbit determined to hop over in search of fresh lettuce, or keep out a thief determined to rip you off. A fence creates a false sense of security.
Even if a fence would deter people wanting to ‘come in,’ is also deters people inside the boundary from thinking in anything but negative terms about what is on the other side. In such a situation, it limits those inside the fence – limits freedom of movement and freedom of thought, relegating them to existence inside a box and reinforcing a thought process that always requires an enemy, a ‘we’ versus ‘them’ scenario.
So, by installing a fence, this nation built upon the rule of law, which has always thought of itself as an open society, a diverse country whose heritage and/or wealth was originally and continues to be derived from legal immigrants to its shores who seek the opportunities and choices promised by its Constitution, suddenly tells itself and the rest of the world that we are liars. It says we don’t believe our own history. It says we do not believe in the values we claim. It says strangers are unwelcome.
A fence around our nation says we are afraid to confront the criminality of those who enter illegally by enforcing our own laws. All by itself, that fence gives the lie to our belief in the rule of law. That fence weakens us…it does not make us stronger or safer or smarter. It turns us into a gated community and announces that we are cowards.
Because of that sentiment, I decided to be more specific in my reasoning for being adamantly anti fence.
First, we are and have always professed to be a nation of laws. Granted, we are too often blasé about our enforcement of certain laws, but they are there – on the books, so to speak. My argument against amnesty or guest worker privileges or any other form of ill considered ‘forgiveness’ is because we are speaking of illegal entry into this country. Illegal. That is the key point.
A fence – any fence – by its very existence and purpose establishes boundaries and seeks to exclude. Certainly the desire to fence the United States (impractical at the very least) would be establishing solid and visible boundary markers, but to say the fence would end illegal entry is merely to establish a new illusion. As any gardener, neighbor, or small business owner knows, a fence will not keep out a dog determined to dig under, or a rabbit determined to hop over in search of fresh lettuce, or keep out a thief determined to rip you off. A fence creates a false sense of security.
Even if a fence would deter people wanting to ‘come in,’ is also deters people inside the boundary from thinking in anything but negative terms about what is on the other side. In such a situation, it limits those inside the fence – limits freedom of movement and freedom of thought, relegating them to existence inside a box and reinforcing a thought process that always requires an enemy, a ‘we’ versus ‘them’ scenario.
So, by installing a fence, this nation built upon the rule of law, which has always thought of itself as an open society, a diverse country whose heritage and/or wealth was originally and continues to be derived from legal immigrants to its shores who seek the opportunities and choices promised by its Constitution, suddenly tells itself and the rest of the world that we are liars. It says we don’t believe our own history. It says we do not believe in the values we claim. It says strangers are unwelcome.
A fence around our nation says we are afraid to confront the criminality of those who enter illegally by enforcing our own laws. All by itself, that fence gives the lie to our belief in the rule of law. That fence weakens us…it does not make us stronger or safer or smarter. It turns us into a gated community and announces that we are cowards.
posted by kaz at 11:03 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home