Bridges: Shared Spaces

Peace Bridge - Canada / USA

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     The other day President Trump decided to go to California to view border wall prototypes. I have to say that when there is any mention of the wall, those defences kick in with a feeling of helplessness. How do words, this pen, piece of paper, the fact that they will be transferred on to the web, through publishing upon this website, compare to billions of dollars, companies who are waiting to invest in the making of the project? How does the investments of billions of dollars compare to this task of writing for the constant push of no wall? I have wrote much about the wall, provided rationale, opinion, even backed with evidence and research, as to why I think it won't work. I'm not talking about the physical structure of the wall, I'm talking about the human consequence. You see I no longer believe that the wall is a matter of drugs, cartel's, or gangs. If it was solely about this, then I think that these problems could be tackled in other ways. Such as having an increased presence of Homeland and Border Security. Or leaders engaging in dialogue and discussion to finds ways, and think about how they can resolve these problems. But the problem is also the leaders who don't even want to talk or meet with each other. The constant rhetoric's of the wall is another form of implicit racism, prejudices, and the re-making of the harsh histories. When we talk about the present or a future that we imagine, can we simply continue to think of cut, paste, and build a wall for integration? Segregation doesn't resolve anything, if not it promotes more hate. Not only to those who are cognizant of the racial biases towards them, but also to the ones creating the divisions. The wall is not to only drive out Drug Cartels, and gangs, it is to promote divisions, and also an act of power. Where we can see a dictator, holding the reins, and demanding control. If you ask me, I think that this building of the wall will cause more division and hostility. But it is also driving a progressive nation backwards. 

     If the Latino / Hispanic population is forecasted to increase by 50%, and even more by the year 2050, doesn't it make sense to pave ways for integration? We also find a contradictory element to President Trump's leadership, who only recently took the tiny step to acknowledge the valuable contributions of the Latino / Hispanic business community. But then any sense of embrace, that is created through this false sense of hope is lost because a couple of days after, the rhetorics, actions change again. "We are going to build a wall, a wall" he says. A wall is not just about the issues he talks about, but they are also about the invisible issues that can be viewed if we think critically. The wall is to enforce his dictatorship, but to once again reveal the U.S. / Mexico history, the battle for land, enforcing and maintaining control through a physical structure, that can be seen. 

     I agree that we must protect the homeland, but we forget that borders are spaces, they are meeting points, places of exchange, and a movement from one nation to another. It is easy to forget the humanistic elements, because we are driven to protect, that is our training, and it is what we should do. But how we treat people, especially the vulnerable, who are escaping harsh circumstances does say a lot about a nation. It is a first impression, that could either lead to hope or hopelessness. So with that being said, I write these words, and publish them. Not for any personal gain, nor to compete with the billions of dollars, and the investors, but for the sake of humanity, and a desire to create shared futures, shared destinies, and inclusion for all. 

Dedication: These thoughts are dedicated to all those who serve on our borders, thank you. After thinking about the work that you do, I wondered if President Trump or his administration did any research about building the wall, or involved with Homeland and Border Security about their ideas and thoughts. My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :)

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand-written on March 14th, 2018.
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