From: L. Michael Hall
2021 Neurons #53
August 20, 2021
How Self-Actualization
Can Save Politics #9
BAD IDEA:
WE NEED OPEN BORDERS
Among all of the bad ideas that are being floated today, one of the big ones is that we need open borders. Of course, a country without borders is no longer a country. To be a country inherently involves having borders. It answers the questions: Where does this country start? Where does it end? How far does it go in this or that direction? Borders define the territory that designates and defines a country. And all countries have borders.
Interesting enough, Communistic countries protect their borders for a different purpose, namely, to prevent their people from leaving. Democratic countries typically use their borders to protect foreigners from entering their country without going through due process. With borders, those in leadership roles in a country can determine who is here, who is a citizen, who is not, who is a visitor, etc.
Borders for a country are similar to walls and doors for a house. A house without walls or doors would not be anyone’s particular house. It would be more like a park pavlon. Without walls or doors, you would not be able to sleep very well knowing that anyone at any time could enter into your home and do whatever they want to do. With walls and a door, at least they have to knock and seek entrance. Since it is your house or apartment, then you have control over who enters and who does not.
Borders are also needed psychologically for an individual person. It is needed in order that one has a solid sense of self. For those borders, we call them boundaries. Without boundaries, without knowing who you are, what’s important to you (values), and how to say “yes” and “no” in an assertive way— people can walk all over you, treat you however they want, and you can’t do a thing about it, except feel like a victim. Psychological health requires good solid boundaries. Such boundaries make up your personal borders. Now you can guard your mind and heart against intruders into that inner place that would do you harm.
So with a country. Countries need borders. I typically travel to one or two dozen countries every year. And as I make entrance into a country, I go through “customs.” I let them know who I am, why I’m there, how long I will stay, etc. They check my luggage and person making sure that I’m not there to do harm. That protects them and it protects me. I’m glad that each country I visit have borders. If I were to go somewhere without borders, I would not feel very safe.
Since 1965 and the Immigration and Naturalization Act, the United States has welcomed more than one million (1,000,000) new immigrants to become citizens every single year. No other country in the world does that. In recent years we have had more and more illegal immigrants seek entrance and given what Biden said in the campaign, he essentially opened the borders so that there are no borders. With a much more than a million illegal immigrants in the first six months of 2021, the flood-gates have been opened and there’s no indication that the Biden Administration is doing anything to stop it.
This is a tragically bad idea. Today 20% of the illegals crossing the southern border are coming in with Covid19 and are being sent all around the country. Who in their right mind thinks that’s a good idea? Trump was right to negotiate with Mexico and other Latin American countries to keep people in their own countries while applying for asylum. Biden rejected that wisdom and has thereby created not only chaos at the border, he is undermining the very protection that government is designed to protect. Secure borders — good idea; lack of them — bad idea.