Or, Why Those Who are For the Wall are For it
When it comes to the tense discussions about the border wall, there's a lot more talking than listening. And, both sides have caricatured one another through name-calling and slanders and by intentionally not listening to one another fully. So, I thought I'd write out a post where all of the arguments for the wall are laid out in print in a coherent, cohesive, and clearly thought out whole. I do not argue for racists nor ethno-nationalists in this post as I disagree with them completely. Rather, this post's goal is to set out the reasons behind those rational individuals who are for the wall.
1) A Premise
This argument is based primarily on the premise that nations do exist in reality and should continue to do so. If you are a globalist (by that I do not mean the anti-semitic term but rather the political ideal that we should currently exist as a global tribe and not many different nations) then it is best you stop reading now as we disagree on too fundamental of a level for us to agree on any of the succeeding points. Or, if you are one who leans towards the libertarian/anarchist side and believes the post-modern myth that borders are nothing more than social constructs, you needn't read further.
The naturally following premise from the aforementioned premise is that in order for a nation to be a nation, it must have a geographical territory. In order for there to be a geographical territory, there must be borders. (The exception being nomadic nations like the Romani [gypsies]). So, in order for a nation to be a nation, it must therefore have borders.
2) The Thesis: It's Not about Us vs. Them; It's about Us AND Them
I do not take an "us vs. them" approach to any of this. In fact, I'm in favor of immigration reform to make immigration a much more smooth and streamlined process. I care about us AND them. But in order for this to work, we must put America first. Why? Not out of selfishness that's for sure. But for the common sense reason that you cannot pour from an empty glass. In order for America to help provide for immigrants and refugees, for it to provide relief aid to survivors around the world, it must first be able to sustain itself. It must be economically stable, healthy, and socially constant in order to provide aid. Otherwise you're robbing Peter to pay Paul. If you replace starving Africans with starving Americans then nothing has been achieved; you've merely replaced one impoverished people group with another and the same amount of suffering exists in the world. Such sacrificial giving would be all well and good if most Americans were true Christians and trusted in God's Providence; the problem is most Americans are "functional atheists," meaning they give mental assent to Jesus but don't live as if He exists in their daily lives. And so, in order for the rest of the world to be helped by America, America's glass must first be full so that it can then overflow into other parts of the world.
3) Economically Stable
In order for America to be a safe-haven for those seeking refuge from impoverished nations, she herself must not become as impoverished as those nations. America's economy, therefore, for the good of her present and future citizens (be they natural or immigrant) must necessarily be protected. If, for example, a large migrant movement such as that currently at the border were to be admitted, the economy would tank. The sudden influx of persons would not give the economy enough time to prepare for them. There would be a sudden job shortage in the regions they inhabit which would cause a chain reaction that would ripple out into the rest of America's economy (and create criminals out of desperation to boot). Thus, not only would the immigrants have not been bettered, but current Americans would be harmed. Thus, to prevent such a mass migration that would only serve to hurt all parties involved, a land and potentially a sea wall must be built.
4) Healthy
For America to provide a paradise of healing for refugees and immigrants, she must first be healthy herself. If immigrants are allowed into the nation en mass, without proper immunization and vaccination and checks for incurable communicable diseases, then much of America could go the way of the Native Americans who died from diseases unknowingly brought over by colonists. These diseases would affect not only Americans but the healthy immigrants and refugees who would undoubtedly be infected as well if a massive outbreak occurred. Not to mention the untold impact on the rest of the international community. Thus, a wall is needed to keep masses out.
5) Social Stability
In order for a nation to be a haven for any seeking it, it must first be socially and politically stable. Otherwise, it will crumble. Migrants bring with them their own cultures, politics, and social outlooks. If too many are admitted at once, and they do not assimilate to a nation's host culture, then not only will both cultures be damaged but the lack of identity will cause a crisis in its socio-political climate and it will fall (a la Rome and every other metropolitan empire). Sound familiar? America's melting pot has led to where we are now: divided. And, it will only become worse if an immigrant caravan were let in. Thus, a wall is needed to keep masses out.
6) Clear and Present Danger
Mass immigration allows criminals, terrorists, and other enemies of the American people to slip in. These dangerous persons are not only dangerous to Americans, but to the immigrants who would come to call this nation home.
And while not all migrants are dangerous persons, for the protection of our glass of water it is better to be safe than sorry. Our glass must stay full and unsullied if we're to pour into others.
7) Functionality of the Wall
Many claim a wall would not work because of xyz reasons. Most of those reasons are completely bunk. Here's a debunking video:
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