Migra Matters comments:
It’s all about the symbolism. It says numerous things on many different levels. It certainly says to our neighbors to the south that not only are they not welcome, but that we are willing to go to great lengths to assure that we can remain separated from them not only physically, but socially and economically.
But perhaps more importantly for those advancing the wall building agenda, they hope to send a message to their constituents and followers that they are tough on “border security”. That they are working hard to “protect” them from whatever it is they fear is coming over the border on a daily basis, whether that be “terrorists”, “Mexicans” who “steal their jobs”, or just plain scary brown people.
Politically, it sends even another message. It says that the only way to deal with the “immigration issue” is to put up barriers, be they physical, legal or economic.
So in the end it really doesn’t really matter if the wall or fence is 350, 700, 1000 or 2 miles long. The mere fact that a wall is being build gives the “enforcement only” advocates a moral and symbolic victory. It negates the idea that this “problem” must be solved comprehensively and that we must look beyond mere “border security.” That we should search for a practical long term solution that not only deals with immigration going forward, but also the root causes of the migration or the need for workers to supplement a shrinking US workforce. In fact, it raises questions of whether we will remain a vibrant nation with a diverse ethnic and cultural mosaic, or retreat into xenophobic isolationism.
Agree or disagree?
(Found via NewsWatch.)
