Though Leo W. Banks makes several incongruous references to
kindergarten in his April 2 cover story, “Trashing Arizona,” we at the
Sierra Club and Derechos Humanos suspect he missed a few lessons.
Conservation groups, wildlife biologists and human-rights advocates
address problems at their root cause, which is why we are not, as Mr.
Banks puts it, “hollering” about trash. We save our breath to denounce
the environmentally devastating border wall and bad border-enforcement
policies that have purposefully funneled migrants through remote
deserts since the 1990s.
The “funnel effect” of the border wall is partially responsible for
the trash problem in Arizona’s border deserts, and the wall is an
environmental disaster in and of itself. In an interview on the Sierra
Club’s border film, Wild Versus Wall, wildlife biologist Sergio
Avila states, “The long-term effects of this infrastructure are way,
way more important than short-term … problems (such) as trash.”
We continue to fight a very real, very long-term environmental
disaster—the legacy of Bush’s border wall. Washington has built
more than 600 miles of border barricades so ineffective that Border
Patrol spokespeople refer to it all as a “speed bump.” Though humans
can go around, over, under or through the border wall, migratory
wildlife often end up stranded. The wall and construction roads slice
across ecosystems, cause flooding and erosion, and gobble up habitat,
while high-voltage lighting keeps nocturnal animals hungry and
confused. Unbelievably, under the Obama administration, the wall
continues to be built in violation of 36 federal laws. This is because
the Real ID Act, signed in 2005, gave the secretary of the Department
of Homeland Security the power to waive any law deemed necessary to
“ensure expeditious construction of the barriers and roads.” For any
fan of the Constitution, that’s as un-American as it gets.
A bigger problem with Mr. Banks’ story is that he pulls focus from
the true root of the issue: U.S. strategies employed to control the
border are flawed, and have cost at least 5,000 men, women and children
their lives. Mr. Banks calls this a “self-imposed” hardship, but as
documented by the Binational Migration Institute, the U.S. border
strategy has been to purposefully “funnel” crossers into Arizona’s
desolate terrain, with the intent of deterring crossings. The continued
deaths and apprehensions illustrate these failures.
After 15 years and billions of dollars spent on criminalizing
migrants, studies have shown that the numbers of individuals crossing
the border has not significantly changed. This would suggest to the
rational mind that another approach is in order. Some define insanity
as the act of doing the same thing over and over and expecting a
different result—how much crazier is spending billions of
taxpayer dollars to boot?
Mr. Banks spends much time dehumanizing migrants. Such hypocrisy
would be better left behind, as it is time Americans acknowledge the
fact that so-called free-trade policies, such as NAFTA, displace
millions of people in search of work. We also must take responsibility
for the insatiable demand for drugs here in America.
A report by the Udall Center shows that Arizona makes a clean $3
billion every year off of immigration. Meanwhile, U.S. migration policy
remains divorced from policies on agricultural subsidies, trade,
security, international development lending and family planning. We
need to address these root causes of migration while respecting
individual human rights, dignity and economic aspirations.
How different the dialogue on immigration would be if the
“holy-smokes” moment Mr. Banks seeks came from individuals who were
outraged at the loss of life on our borders. Since 2000, the human
remains of 1,440 men, women and children have been recovered on the
Arizona border. Less than halfway through this fiscal year, that number
has increased by at least 64.
We at the Sierra Club and Derechos Humanos are glad that Mr. Banks
is thinking about kindergarten, and we encourage him to seriously
consider the basic lessons of decency, compassion, fairness,
responsibility and cooperation that all 5-year-olds receive and that we
should all expect of each other.
Kat Rodriguez is the coordinator of Coalición de Derechos
Humanos. Sean Sullivan is the chair of the Sierra Club Borderlands
Team.
This article appears in Apr 23-29, 2009.
Another product of the willfully ignorant Bush administration. And in the not-too-distant future, American taxpayers will spend more millions to tear this ridiculous wall down, and then realize the irreparable damage inflicted upon wildlife and the environment. Meanwhile, more people will die, while attempting to achieve their dreams…
This Guest Commentary by Kat Rodriguez and Sean Sullivan, is to say the least, not telling the whole story. Kat Rodriguez and Sean Sullivan certainly have a right to their opinions; however there are big gaps of legalities that are not even being addressed here. I agree with them in regards to the fence, and it is reminiscent of the K-Mart version of the Great Wall of China made of recycled beer cans, and is a total eyesore to those who have to look at it or live near it everyday. I am all in favor of tearing it down…for migration of wildlife only. BUT, I am not in favor of illegal immigrants. IT’S ILLEGAL! I am not sympathetic to border fatalities at the border at all, they should not be trying to break the law by coming into America illegally period! Of course I prefer that we don’t have deaths at our border, but there is nothing we can really do about it is there, if the illegal immigrants insist on risking it. I don’t hear anyone saying that it is his or her right to do so?? They know the risk, and I have become numb to those who would attempt to make ME feel guilty, for something that is illegal to begin with. If I go in, and rob a store, I get caught, have to go to trial, and would be sentenced to perhaps two years in prison, for breaking the LAW. What makes Mr. Rodriguez, and Mr. Sullivan think they, (the illegal immigrants) should not suffer the same? I’m hearing allot of talk about laws being broken, what about the laws of entering this country ILLEGALLY? As far as their statement and I quote, “For any fan of the Constitution, that’s as un-American as it gets”. So are ILLEGAL IMMAGRENTS! I would like to hear the statistics on how much we spend, and what it is costing the taxpayers daily, to support these immigrants. These immigrants consist of families, and people of “all walks of life” even Mexico’s “finest” criminals. Now there is talk about immigrants getting to dip into our Social Security. Somewhere I read that some border county sheriffs want Arizona schools to start asking students whether they’re in the country legally, and I believe it was the idea of Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik that originated the idea and said that millions of dollars in Arizona taxes are being spent teaching English to children who have no legal right to be here in the first place! This brings social problems, gang warfare, and who knows what else of other kinds of illegal activities that this spawns in OUR country, due to illegal immigrants. I am with Dupnik when he said it may be time for Arizona to have a test case to put the issue back before the high court, to see if the current justices agree that the 5 to 4 decision that was brought before the Supreme Court decision to make it illegal for school officials to ask this questions of our students (If they are legal immigrants or not). I think they should ask, they meaning the enrollment specialist in each school. If they are here illegally, then the border patrol should become involved at that point, and have these illegal immigrants taken back to Mexico, along with their parents! You are talking about Humanitarianism? How about the American taxpayers who have to foot the bill for these illegal immigrants? Our economy is such, that we don’t have enough jobs to support AMERICANS, let alone the illegal immigrants!!! Think about that folks…I have no problem with immigrants coming into this country LEGALLY, but even then, they should only received the Social Security when they retire, that they have vested rights in, that means, they should get whatever they, and their employer paid into Social Security, and nothing more. It is time to rid America of this “Boo-Hoo” liberalist, who is to weak to say NO to illegal immigrants. America is a great nation, and there are reasons why people want to come here…but do it LEGALLY then you will have this writers support! Gary W. Halsey Sr.