To Those Who Fear The Border

Why do we as a country have so much fear toward those who are our neighbors? We as a country were built on immigrants, but now we are straying away from that. We used to be a country that was willing to help others, willing to be there for others when we needed, but now we have the mindset of "if you aren’t here already get out, we don’t want you". Why do we have this fear?

The border, on the American side, is a desolate mine field. There is no one there for miles on miles. People live in fear of what could come if you get “too close” to the fence, but what could happen? Yes, us as a nation receive many inappropriate things from across borders, but we are the ones who ask for them, without the want, these things would not be traveling across borders. Because of these stories we hear of drug cartels, children being shot when they get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, millions of dollars of cocaine and other drugs traveling from nations south of us; we believe that these people are dirty rotten scoundrels that we need to keep out to keep our country safe. What people do not think is why are these inappropriate things coming across? It is because we have people here who ask for them.

In turn we create a fear, stemming from terrorist attacks, wars, and news castings. We believe all that we hear but we do not go and see for ourselves. People are people, no matter where you go, there will always be war and crime. There is no reason to fear a whole nation however.

If you were to cross the border, say to go visit Tijuana, you may have fear at first, but after relieving this fear, you would find many joyous people. These people love their country just as we do. Yes, some of them do cross the border illegally, which many of you may not agree with, I am not one to say if it is right or wrong, but the reasons they do this are not to create problems for us as a nation, but to support their families, just as we are attempting to do. The economy in Mexico is not good, therefore many do cross the border and send all the money back they can to their families, because sometimes, desperate times call for desperate measures, and if that is the only way you can make ends meet, it is what is done.

The border, to America is seen as a way to keep our country “safe”, to Mexico, it is a constant reminder of how they are perceived as “dirty, rotten, and no good people”. This is untrue; as Mexico has some of the most kindhearted souls I have met, nicer than some I have met here in my own country. I have met men and woman willing to give everything for me, a person not even a part of their own country, something America does not have the heart to do as much anymore. We, as a nation, could learn many lessons from Mexico. We can learn to love no matter what nationality, to accept everyone, and to help when help is needed no matter where in the world you are. There is no reason to fear the border, instead, spread love to it; God knows that those on the other side need it to know they are people too.