The last time we dealt with the subject of walls, we received a scholarly comment from a monarchist on the efficacy and history of the Great Wall of China. Since that was not the point I was trying to make, I was somewhat at a loss to respond. I took it with good grace and thanked the gentleman for his comment.
But the truth is I think walls are for losers. I look at the crumbling walls of the castles of Europe and I see no need for such dull, damp and dreary abodes. And as the Berlin Wall was built and fell within my lifetime, I believe it presents a cautionary tale for people who wish to build walls against other people.
To me, walls in the 21st Century are a waste of time and effort. They are an anachronism in a world of technology. From the day that Berlin was divided by fools celebrating victory, people flew over the barriers with impunity.
Walls do not just fail, they insult. They belittle their builders more than they protect them. They waste resources. They are a form of bigotry. They are for the selfish and self-serving. They deny freedom, they deny dignity and they deny the rights of democracy.
And do not tell us about the walls of hate the Israelis have built against their neighbours. These are an abomination. They are built by Jews who deny the honour of those who died fighting for them in places such as the Warsaw Ghetto.
Good fences might make good neighbours but a wall is a statement of hate. President Donald Trump will go down in infamy as the most hateful of American leaders. Donald Trump is a bigot, a boor and a narcissist. He dishonours his countrymen and women. His wall denies the very freedoms promised by America.
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Copyright 2019 © Peter Lowry
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