It Is Not About Building A Wall

An open letter to Donald Trump

Dear Mr. Trump,

You've gained a lot of popularity with your talk about building a wall to keep people from illegally crossing the border into the United States. I understand the desire to address safety concerns regarding criminals and terrorists being allowed free access to our country. I also understand wanting to limit the number of people who come here illegally and tap into what are now the country's very limited resources. We have a hard enough time providing for our own needy people. That said, let me be very clear. These problems will never be solved by building a wall.

Addressing the real issues involves asking better questions. Instead of asking, "How do we keep undesirable elements out of the country?" we need to ask questions like, "Why are people trying to enter the country illegally in the first place?" The difference in these two questions will determine whether Americans can come together to fix their own problems or continue to be mired down in the muck, the root of our problems untouched and growing.

I know why people desire to come to the United States. Many people hold the belief that the United States is the land of freedom and opportunity. On certain levels this is still true (although the past thirty+ years have brought more limitations to freedom and opportunity than I would have thought possible).

This brings to mind another even more important question: why are conditions so bad in other countries that they risk leaving their homes to try to find better lives for themselves and their families? This is the issue at the root of our problems. This is the issue that needs to be addressed.

Mr. Trump, you may not see this as the US's problem, but let me assure you it is our problem. Why, you ask? It is our problem because the United States has caused conditions to be bad in countries around the world.

Let's take a quick look at Iraq and Afghanistan. US military intervention in Iraq goes back to George Bush Sr. and Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. At the time, Iraq was accusing Kuwait of drilling sideways/at an angle to tap in to Iraqi oil reserves. I don't know that this is true. I don't know that it is not true. Considering the techniques they have perfected in more recent years to obtain shale oil, Kuwait might have been guilty as charged. US intervention in Afghanistan goes back even farther to when the USSR was trying to invade it to plunder its vast natural gas resources. Both instances were justified because America is all about policing the world and making sure democracy and freedom reign supreme. (At least that's what the citizenry are told in order to make sure they support whatever actions our military takes overseas.)

Are either of these countries better off today than they were back then after literal decades of US military intervention? The answer is a resounding "No!" They are still at war. People struggle to survive everyday life. Poppy fields and the heroin drug trade still thrive. The region is a breeding ground for terrorism as the people attempt to reclaim control of themselves and their resources.

Who has benefited from these police actions? Multinational corporations who profit from war--weapons manufacturers, food and supply companies, etc. Corporations who seek to control natural resources (oil, natural gas, minerals, etc.). Banks, who plunge countries into fake debt by promising much needed infrastructure that is really only put in place to provide for ease of military action and export of the country's resources and does absolutely nothing to help the people who actually live there. The debt does, however, make those people debt slaves.

The Middle East is not the only area of the world our multinational corporations control. Most of Africa, large portions of Asia, and pretty much all of Central and South America are included in such takeovers. Natural resources are controlled by corporations who subjugate the people in their quest for never-ending money and power. Life for these people is difficult at best. Under such circumstances, who wouldn't want a shot at an easier life?

Our military should not be used so that multinational corporations profit. Our military should be defensive only and not for our allies either. Our allies need to develop and/or rely on their own defenses and not expect us to go fight their battles. If they want our help, they need to be willing to bear the cost of the action and pay for our services. The bottom line is, the United States of America needs to stop interfering in other countries around the world. We have created worldwide problems that people want to escape from.

Mr. Trump, it is not about building a wall. It is about enabling people all over the world to control their own destinies. It is about allowing them the space they need to create abundance and prosperity. When they have what they need to lead healthy and productive lives in their own countries, they will have no reason to raid ours.

Sincerely,
Cindy Shippy Evans

 

       

Taking Down The Walls That Separate

This morning, I ready this BRILLIANT article on the subtleties of racism, written by an African American man named John Metta. (Please take the time to read it here! Lengthy, but explains the concept in a very masterful way!!!) It made me look at all the little things I ignore about society that truly have racist undertones.

Separation is not just a racial thing. It is a gender thing. It is a political thing. It is a religious thing. It's a socioeconomic thing. It's a cultural thing. It's a homophobic thing. There are so many ways we distance ourselves from one another, so many ways we keep ourselves from our own wisdom and our own power. And that's where the problems begin.

Because we are so caught up in our "identities" we have forgotten we are connected individuals. We have forgotten that what happens to one of us happens to all of us. We create division where there is none. In doing so, we forget our own humanity. We mistreat those we perceive as different from ourselves merely as a consequence of having those perceptions in the first place.

It doesn't have to be that way. I have always been fascinated by other cultures (my parents were great examples of introducing me to things different from myself). Back when I was teaching PreK, I made a friend of one of my student's mothers who came in to help with class parties and such. She was Indian and Hindu and a really sweet and loving person. I had many discussions with her about topics such as arranged marriages and religious ceremonies. This was back in the time I was still caught up by Christianity in many ways, although I loved trying to understand the perspectives of others.

There was one day my friend explained to me about a holiday they were celebrating. The story behind the celebration was that God's wife had been stolen by some evil god at their wedding. The holiday commemorates her return. I found it intriguing because, in Christianity, the church is often associated with the bride and Christ is known as the bridegroom. The church is stolen by the evil one to be eventually taken back by the bridegroom. I mentioned it to my friend at the time. She thought the parallels were interesting as well.

My friend really touched me at Christmas time that year. She had given me a bag full of treats for Christmas from herself and her son. Most of what she gave me I can't recall now, but one gift stood out. It was a small picture frame with three openings for pictures (because I have three children). On one corner of the frame was a Christian cross. Even though we came from very different backgrounds and cultures, we had a mutual love and respect for one another. She was honoring me with something she knew to be important to me. The fact that she was Hindu and I was Christian did not matter.

It is time to begin getting to know your neighbor. Allow yourselves to get to know your fellow human in new ways. Ask about cultural traditions and food preferences. Discuss things you both like and things that make you both happy. Question all those things that make a person tick and be willing to lay judgement aside. We all have different spiritual journeys. If you expect others to honor your journey you need to be willing to honor the journeys of others.

Our differences do not have to separate us from each other. As we open ourselves up to understanding, know that their experiences can also be yours. We can all learn from each other and grow ourselves through accessing the knowledge of others.

Breaking down barriers does not have to be a scary, difficult process. Recognize the humanity of each one. Understand their experiences are for their own personal growth. Be willing to honor their journeys as they, in turn, honor yours. We truly are in this together. By acting in ways that benefit the whole we come into our full inheritance of love, joy, peace and abundance. By taking down the walls that separate, we come into our own power.

~CSE