While the border has always been an issue in politics, the election of Donald Trump undoubtedly increased public discussion about the issue. Visiting the parts of American closest to Mexico will undoubtedly play a role in how I look at the issue of sovereign borders.
While we were on the Tohono O’odham reservation, I could not believe how many border patrol agents were monitoring the area with an EXTREMELY close watch. I will never forget what happened during an early morning run with Pat and Professor Guse. A few feet away from me in a large vehicle, a group of agents either stopped or significantly slowed down as I ran on the road, (I cannot exactly remember) and they all seemed to be trying to figure out who I was and what I was doing. For a moment, I was moderately freaked out.
After listening to a guest speaker at the souther border, (Needless to mention, many dogs in the vicinity made me smile even though a part of myself knew that they have sad and unfortunate lives in the grueling heat.) I now have a deep understanding of the reasons not to build the wall. However, I disagree with those who say that people can always go over or under walls – I believe that really big structures (the kind one can see on the borders between Israel and the Gaza Strip) undoubtedly impede movement. Nevertheless, for me it comes down to a cost benefit analysis – will the reduction of the need for border patrol agents cover the costs associated with a wall which will only significantly stop migrants if it is a tall and extremely expensive barrier? My gut feeling is probably not, and when you look at the harm a wall would do to the natural environment and the Tohono O’odham people, America definitely should not invest in a small wall. As for a larger, more expensive structure, building such a thing would probably not be worth it.
The thing I was especially surprised by about the border is that I have not heard the borderlands of the Tohono O’odham mentioned in news. Not that I really follow the news, but I had to do a project on the wall in high school and have no recollection of seeing information about the Tohono O’odham. If anything, they are the most intimate with the border situation and therefore should be consulted about the issue as the US tries to find a solution, in my opinion.