Don't Build This Fence

With elections around the corner two things had to be done in the Republican lead Congress to appeal to the base that got them elected. One, a bill had to be passed that would make them look tough on defense and Democrats like they want to coddle terrorists. So they pass a detainee bill, which most Democrats supported out of expediency. Two, they push through an immigration "reform" bill, that flies in the face of the wishes of their unpopular president, by approving the construction of a 700 mile fence, that makes them look tough on security and immigrants trying to sneak into the country. The former will eventually be challenged in court and the Supreme Court will give us the final verdict on the legality of denying habeas corpus to people determined to be "unlawful combatants." The latter, however, will be built and become symbolic of the level of fear that has permeated this country since Republicans gained a majority in Congress and the Executive.

From the party that idolizes Ronald Reagan, the President that championed the tearing down of the wall between East and West Berlin, promoted free markets and described the United States as a shining city on a hill, the Republican party of today puts up walls, creates barriers between the U.S. and our biggest trading partner, and wastes government resources to appeal to the xenophobic base of their party. A characteristic none should be proud of.

Built under the auspices that such a fence will better protect Americans from further possible terrorist attacks and that it would be tough on illegal immigrants, only time will truly tell how effective a it will be at doing just that. Unless the demand for low-skill, low-wage workers dries up in the United States, this fence will only exacerbate the dangers of crossing the border for people desperate for a new life and opportunities that lie across the border. Without a legal means, that is not so unnecessarily cumbersome and bureaucratic that it discourages people from following the law, immigrants will continue to bear the hardships and dangers of crossing the desert. This policy is as likely to stop the influx of illegal immigration as prohibition stopped the sale of alcohol. This immigration policy represents the antithesis to free market policies that calls for the free flow of information and capital, including human capital. More importantly, this fence is an antithesis to what has made America a beacon of hope, the greatest experiment in Democracy and, of course, a country of immigrants.

Many of my ancestors came to this country on boats, and more recently on my mothers side in a plane, like nearly everybody else who today call themselves Americans. For this generation of Americans born on American soil to say they have more of a right to the freedoms we cherish and the opportunities here than people born south of our border is hypocritical.

The solution to our security and immigration concerns to build a fence is a wholly inappropriate policy and is a another example of this Congress squandering valuable resources by caving in to people's most base fears. It is a blemish on our record of championing freedom and open markets and with time will prove to be a misplaced effort to provide security to our country.