The Border Fence

(not-so) Brief rant today, sparked (quite deliberately) by Jasola... But you can't just send me a photo of poor little ungulates trapped on the less-green-grass-side of the freaking border fence and not expect a little steam to build up.

These poor deer will never diversify their genetic pool...where're their civil liberties?

There are sooooo many things wrong with the border fence that I'm having trouble even figuring out where to start. I mean, environmentally, socially, fiscally, feasibly, historically...it's a freaking fiasco on every level. If you think differently I invite you to comment here so I can bash you later.

• Environmentally: Most educated people are quick to realize that our little imaginary lines on the landscape don't respond well to the way that natural systems work. Animals like deer, rats, mice, birds, bats and foxes don't know that they live in Sonora, Mexico or Arizona, USA. They just know that there's a patch of habitat they want to inhabit, and now there's a "uncrossable" barrier through the middle of it. Not only does it reduce habitat size, it isolates genetic populations, prevents natural migration patterns and provides a potential physical hazard to animals desperate to cross. The DHS (Department of Homeland Security) had to set aside 19 (yup - nearly 20) environmental laws to build this marvel - just in Arizona alone. So, if you're building a hospital to cure cancer or a school to educate our children, you have to spend the money, do the impact studies and mitigate for damage. If you are trying to keep Pablo from picking your citrus, you don't have to follow any rules. Afterall - he's dangerous - he's here to steal our healthcare and suck our system dry. (Of interesting note is the fact that the DHS has set aside a portion of their budget as "compensation" for the damage done to wildlife by the fence. So when a jaguar buys the million dollar home with his settlement check, you'll know your tax dollars are at work).





First Photograph of a wild jaguar in Arizona (or in the US) - Taken in 1996 - The animals were trying to return to our wild borderlands, but the fence will make that much harder




• Socially: Man, where do I even start with this? Creating a barrier like a fence is only going to reinforce that 'we' are separate from 'them', that 'their' problems should not have any affect on 'us', that 'ours' is more important than 'theirs'. So much for thinking globally. This kind of attitude has been the start of nearly every war, ever.
  
  

Nothing says "we welcome your masses, yearning to be free" like concertina wire and ditches.

• Fiscally: Okay, so lets just say that the over $2billion (yes, with a 'b') price tag is something that is an acceptable cost for "stemming the flow of illegal immigration that is overwhelming our nation". That figure doesn't include maintenance costs, particularly the cost of maintaining a barrier that will be under constant attack by those trying to cross it (see feasibility below), or the maintenance of a structure that is located in the most remote and rugged parts of the borderlands. It also doesn't account for the electronics (or money lost in contracts when electronic fences turn out not to work), or the surveillance of the wall. We're talking about not just $2 bil now, but billions more spread out over the life of the fence. Since we're not looking at actually SOLVING the problem, that could be a really, really long time.

So, this looks kinda doable on flat land - but across the Huachuca Mountains?

• Feasibly: Okay, this is linked with history below, but it boils down to two very simple details: First, we aren't building a fence across all 2000 miles of border - only about 500. That leaves 3/4 of the border open. I'm no immigrant, but if I'm in a life-or death struggle and getting to America is my only hope for my children, something tells me I'll find a way on that other 1,500 miles of access. Second, lets say there is a fence that runs every inch of the border, and I (again) am that desperate to cross, I will. I'll tunnel, I'll break it, torch it, blow it up. I'll find a way over, around, through or across it or die trying. Thousands are proving that theory true already as they brave the deadly journey across the desert - and hundreds are dying trying each year. It is what people do, what people have always done when migration is necessary. Which brings me to...

Another great border fence in history - this one in China in 1907




• Historically: There has never, ever been a physical boundary that has effectively stopped people from migrating. It might slow them down - true. But these kinds of barriers give rise to amazing feats of ingenuity (the escape tunnel between East and West Berlin), bravery (the Mongols and the Great Wall of China) and determination (Hadrian's Wall). So, we're going to spend all this money, create all of these negative social images, and laugh in the face of logic so we can...slow people down. Mmmm..

Hadrian's wall in England - built to keep those nasty Picts from the refined English-Romans

Seems to me the money, time and energy would be much better spent actually looking for a way to make people want to stop coming here. Good psychology is nearly always more effective than brute force.