Borders, Walls or Alternatives

Even the president is talking about building a wall to keep out the aliens who do jobs Americans refuse. Apparently, most of us believe we need a wall or we'll soon be overrun by another 12 million hard-working felons.

This wall idea makes you think of the Wall of China, the Maginot Line, the Berlin Wall, or the apartheid wall the Israelis are building to carve up Palestine. Most of them make you feel negative and knot up your tummy.

The poet Robert Frost asked, "What are we walling in and what are we walling out?" Enforcing the national border is the purpose, and walls do seem harsh. Consider the alternatives and all the possible repercussions if the border crisis gets ugly.

Cuba shoots people trying to get out, and Mexico shoots Latin Americans sneaking in. Many in Congress chide Mexico for not preventing their citizens from sneaking over the border. Do they expect Mexican border guards to fire on them? If this situation worsens, an illegal immigrant might be shot at from both sides.

Shooting at border-crossers is a reality. Last week, Mexican soldiers shot a Mexican at their southern border, by mistake. They mistook the man for a Guatemalan.

Why not consult and negotiate for better solutions? Excalation of tensions brings potential violence, which must be avoided at all costs.

Peace and understanding.



Thoughts While Jay Walking

* Look back on the building of the imaginary "Bridge to the 21st Century," which former president Bill Clinton made popular. It was constructed by aliens, outsource-engineered in India, and paid for the old fashioned way: we charged it.

* General Michael Hayden, the candidate to head the CIA, told Congress that the eavesdropping program is legal. Oh yeah? We'll see about that, Hayden's not a judge.

* Sean Hannity is as funny as Rush. On May 19, he said: "I'm going to read this important report to you about progress in Iraq because you'll never see it in the mainstream press." Then Sean read from the pages of USA TODAY.

* Yesterday we couldn't spell oligarchy and now we live in one.

* Smog in St. George: Too cloudy to see, but you know it's there.


IT'S ALL SO SIMPLE.