TIJUANA, Mexico — A peaceful march by Central American migrants
waiting at the southwestern United States border veered out of control on
Sunday afternoon, as hundreds of people tried to evade a Mexican police
blockade and run toward a giant border crossing that leads into San Diego.
In
response, the United States Customs and Border Protection agency shut down the
border crossing in both directions and fired tear gas to push back migrants
from the border fence. The border was reopened later Sunday evening. The
episode comes at a time of growing tension on both sides of the border and
promised to become the newest flash point in the story of a caravan that was
the target of President Trump’s anti-immigrant rallying cry during the midterm
elections. LINK
I don't have a lot to say
about this that I haven't said before. It's important to understand that there
are few if any sovereign nations that will routinely let masses of people enter
without permission. The US isn't one of them, strictly speaking. If you zerg rush a border there are
basically three choices that the authorities have. (1) The authorities can back
down and let you in. (2) The authorities can use non-lethal force to prevent
your entry. (3) The authorities can use lethal force to prevent your entry. If
the authorities make the first choice they will invite more people to do the
same thing.
A border is force made visible. It tells everyone else that this section of the planet is ours. You can't enter or stay without our permission. Consent is everything here. It's the difference between me inviting someone into my home and someone entering my home without my permission. It's the same action in each instance but I will have utterly different reactions. Consent matters.
A border is force made visible. It tells everyone else that this section of the planet is ours. You can't enter or stay without our permission. Consent is everything here. It's the difference between me inviting someone into my home and someone entering my home without my permission. It's the same action in each instance but I will have utterly different reactions. Consent matters.