The United States of America, a nation built by foreign hands on the principals of freedom and basic human rights, stands upon the brink of moral desolation due to the abandonment of these ideals for ones of fear and nationalism.
We, who have come from a diverse history of societies oppressed, turned to a new world that would allow us refuge, safety, and independence. No longer would we submit ourselves to be shut off from our government, our society and our world. We took the power of our conscience and will and used it as a hammer against these walls, formed by those in elite positions, which strived to separate, isolate, and oppress. We became and continue to be united in the belief that all of us are born with rights that are not dictated by man but, rather by laws natural and inalienable. In this we own a cosmopolitan ideal that is upheld by our Constitution, Declaration of Independance, and Democratic form of government. The rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.
However, since September 11th, 2001 we seem to be straying from this form of thought as we begin to create metaphysical and psychological walls that seperate us from the rest of the world. These walls are being built up out of fear of our national security and are solidified by a silent racism that plagues our nation and threatens to destroy our society. This is hardly anything new, but something that we must seek to stop in order to create a world of peace and progress.
During the past two years there has been talk of taking our metaphysical walls and turning them into a physical wall that separates the US from Mexico. Not only does this violate the rights of all individuals but, during the same two years no such wall has been proposed for Canada. This shows a clear contention towards the "brown" and favoritism of the "white". The reasons are beyond logic and are diametrically opposed to our national ideals. I propose that not only is discourse on this topic colorist but it is also traitorous to our nation and our morals. Though this topic may seem taboo, at least one observer sees a vital roll that it plays in moving toward perpetual peace in the US and throughout the world.
The discussion began shortly after the attacks and were echoed during the 2007-2008 election process. The 2,000 mile border between Mexico and the US allows millions of "illegal" (if such a term can be justifiably coined) aliens to cross from Mexico into the US each year. The fear is that this could allow terrorists to enter our country and infiltrate our security. This can easily be said to be a false reason, as the same could be true to the North where we border Canada. In comparison, our Northern border is over 5,500 miles long. This is nearly triple the length of our Southern border. This 5,500 mile stretch is without walls and has a much smaller border patrol. The reason for this is that the income disparity between Canadians and Americans is not a large margin as Mexicans and Americans. In fact Canadians and Americans are very similar and cause little border activity for migrant workers. Whereas, standard Mexican wages are only a tenth of standard American wages.
Now, with these elements in mind, let us assume that one is in the act of infiltrating our nation in an effort to expose our weaknesses. It would make more sense for any intelligent organization to do so from the north and not the south. However, we don't deal with intelligent organizations of terrorists, rather we deal with super-intelligent organizations that are more likely to enter the country legally or to convert people already living here.
This leaves us with only one logical conclusion, that our "fear of terrorism" is being manipulated to further the progression of colorism/racism in the US. Should this be allowed? I certainly do not think so. Especially when we apply this in Cosmopolitan terms.
The perfect example of freedom to movement is seen here in the US. We are a country of 50 Individual and Independent States which allow all Americans and all visitors/aliens freedom to move throughout all 50 States without opposition, fear of loss of jobs, fear of invasion, fear of corruption, fear of terrorism, etc. One can easily walk, run, drive, fly, or bike from one state to another without any hinderance. In fact, it would be quite difficult to create a progressive and peaceful nation without this freedom.
Let us go beyond our borders (if you are reading from the US) and take the example of the EU. It is on a path that is similar to that of the United States however, much more ambitious and expansive thus, ultimately more influential. It's implementation, though somewhat limited, of Freedom of Movement among it's national inhabitants has created an economic power that is able to participate and compete in the global arena and offers it's citizens the opportunity of advancement and freedom that was previously unavailable to them. It creates greater unity and has an effect of perpetual peace among them.
Of course, the reality is that we are living in a world of aggression and competition. We do have threats that are very real to our citizens and to our freedoms. It is often difficult to distinguish where the line is drawn and how to perpetuate peaceful growth. However, we can take our morals and apply them fully to each situation thus giving us some direction to how far we can go in any direction without abandoning the process of peace. In this instance, let us remember the importance of deconstructing walls and reconstructing freedom.
by Shadna Aten
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