Fencing Lessons

There was a recent media photo of eight proto-type "fences" on display somewhere near San Diego. These behemoth so-called fences shame their friendly picket or slatted or board varieties we enjoy chatting over with our neighbours. Our nice fences keep the dogs in and the kids safe from running out into the streets. We make yard fences attractive and keep them maintained. We plant flowers and shrubs around them.  At first, seeing these huge horrendous, insensitive and military-like "fences", I couldn't believe my eyes. These were being tested (?) to see which would be appropriate for use in the largest and supposedly, the best, bravest and freest country in the world. Have we so soon forgotten? Wasn't there joyous celebration when the "fence" in East Germany was dismantled "never to happen again"? Weren't there armed guards when the German fence was active and fear and inspections, in the days before its inhuman form was taken down? Have we forgotten about such walls that insult our very humanity? It seems that when the enemy does such things, we shudder, but when it happens in our so-called peaceful, accepting society 2000 years to our benefit, we give a cluck of the tongue and  a wee shake of our heads and go on about our daily lives. The vast majority of the criminal element and their doings goes surreptitiously right through the border crossings. That is a provable fact. Their massive hauls of drugs and laundered money finds ways to pass right by the noses of border guards. That kind of high cost crime, doesn't crawl over or dig under fences. Only people driven to desperation do that. Seeing those fences or even pictures of the famous infamous one being constructed south of us, makes me physically ill, my stomach reacts in disgust. I remember World War Two distinctly, and even as a child being taught to hate the enemy. Hate is a bad lesson but it was everywhere then: on posters, in the news casts, with gossip, in films. The hatred was deserved by the examples evident at the time because there were true dangers to our security. No walls were built then, however many lives were lost during the war years. Only at the end of the problems was the East German one made. If we were sitting on the moon, able to look down and see the state of this one earth, all that we have, and how pitiful it is that we humans who creep upon its surface, cannot share its generosity, we would look as horrified as does the true face of the moon.