JUST ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL?

Abstract

By definition a “wall” is a continuous structure of masonry or other material forming a rampart and built for defensive purposes. Throughout the history of mankind walls have been risen to protect the new cities conquered, like the seven walls protecting the legendary city of Troy, the Great Wall of China, or even the Berlin Wall.

This is the case of the wall being built between the frontier of the United States and Mexico.

During President’s G.W. Bush mandate, the “secure fence act” was signed to law in September 29th 2006, after receiving its approval by the members of the US senate. New operations such as “gatekeeper” and “safeguard” with the purpose of stopping illegal immigration as well as drug traffic, are implementing this same method.

It is not a continuous wall along the 3185 km of frontier, but a series of physical walls in strategic points where it is believed this illegal movements mostly took place in the past years, going through cities to inhabited areas. The parts left without wall have what could be called a virtual fence, composed by traffic checkpoints, cameras and even satellites; all to make sure safety is kept within the US territory.

The estimated cost of this still going operation is of U$S 7 thousand million for the actual physical fence of 1100 km, adding to that U$S 30 thousand million for the virtual one.

But as everything in life, here we have the other side of the coin too. Regardless of having passed the bill into a law, American governors are facing another problem, that arouse after senator’s K. Hutchison amendment. This amendment partly reads “…nothing in this paragraph shall require the Secretary of Homeland Security to install fencing, physical barriers, roads, lighting, cameras, and sensors in a particular location along an international border of the United States, if the Secretary determines that the use or placement of such resources is not the most appropriate means to achieve and maintain operational control over the international border at such location…”.  Meaning that if this amendment takes place the project mentioned before could stop being installed and therefore implemented.

Whichever measure is finally taken, the result will still end up being about protecting American citizens, period. The Argentinian/American writer Mr.Oppenheimer proposes three projects in which the money for building the palisade could be spent while promoting cross border relations, such as implementing a regional health cooperation system, or simply investing more in Mexican infrastructure in the south, so people will not have to move towards the more industrialized north area of Mexico, all to realize that if there are no opportunities there, the only chance for survival and having a decent lifestyle is to migrate towards the US pursuing the American dream.

Sometimes we take for granted the meaning of some things, but how well do we understand the meaning of a wall? Take a look at the definition given above. We keep on dividing and protecting ourselves, from what? Ourselves? It is not the Barbarians times anymore, nor the Troyans nor the Vikings, it is the twenty first century, every piece of land has been conquered now, there is absolutely no reason to continue making divisions instead of bonds, but money. 

We are living in exponential times, meaning, by the time that wall is finished, if it ever is, some person in some part of the globe will have already invented a new way to mock the surveillance methods used by the governments.

Terrorism and drug traffic might decrease in the south area of the US or even in the US as a whole; but, we are missing the bigger picture here! It is not about the unpaid taxes on the US by illegal immigrants, the drug issues Americans face, or the racism towards the Mexicans, neither about protecting ourselves or our fellow countrymen, it is about protecting humanity as a whole.

In conclusion, it is our job as an international society not to let this be just another brick in the wall dividing us humans, it is our job to make the difference, and start promoting instances pro-humanity, because in the end, that is what we all got in common, we may be Americans, Mexicans, or from anywhere else in the world, but all in all we are humans, which makes us all citizens of the same place, Earth; and as a great woman once said “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” It is high time we started using our other hand.

*Estudiante de la Licenciatura en Estudios Internacionales.
FACS - Universidad ORT Uruguay