At The Border: Immigration Or War

So it’s interesting how this whole immigration crisis is playing out in real life and simultaneously on TV. 

In real life, we have a caravan of thousands of people marching from Central America (Honduras and Guatemala) to the U.S. border seeking asylum, mostly for economic reasons. 

On TV, we have the Last Ship Season 5, where South and Central America are at war with the U.S., “no longer willing to sit at the children’s table of international politics,” and they are coming to the U.S. to fight.

In the U.S. today, there are over 40 million people that were born in another country.  Of these, there are over 12 million immigrants living illegally in the U.S. (55% from Mexico), and we know that we need immigration reform.  

In the truest sense, we are almost all of us immigrants to this country, with ourselves or our families coming over at one time or another, and we are grateful for the generosity and open doors that allowed us to come here and make a good life.

Of course, we want to pay it forward and give others the same asylum and opportunity that we had and which they as human beings deserve. 

Yet, the country continues to debate the mix of compassion and giving to the oppressed and needy versus the merit principles for bringing in needed skills, talents, and investment, and how many is the “right” number to allow in at any one time.

In real life, we are beefing up border agents, building a wall, and calling in the military to halt the illegal flow of immigrants, so that we can channel immigrates through a process and vetting that leads to legal and safe immigration to this country

On TV, we are fighting in the air, on land, and at sea an alliance of countries from the south and central that want to take over the U.S., and we are also holding our own and holding them back.

In both cases, we need to have and maintain borders to be a sovereign country, to protect our country, and to ensure that caravans of illegal immigrants or foreign troops are not crossing the border and doing harm. 

It’s high time for true immigration reform that is compassionate yet principled, but overrunning the border isn’t an option that is practical or fair.  😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Who’s Gonna Pay For That Wall

So presidential candidate, Donald Trump wants to build a wall on the southern U.S. border with Mexico to control immigration for homeland security and the economy. 

But more than that, he thinks Mexico should pay for it.

Today, on CNN was a response from Mexico’s ex president, who said, we’re “not gonna pay for that f****** wall!”

I was walking around laughing to myself for about 10 minutes–the zany and (un)predictable action-reaction in politics and diplomacy. 

You can’t make this stuff up. 

Just an aside, but wouldn’t you say Ex-President [of] Mexico instead of the Ex-Mexico President –Oops, who was working the captions at CNN today. 

What will be surreal and hilarious after this is if the “f****** wall” would really happen, and if Mexico would seriously end up paying for it. 😉

(Note: This is not an endorsement for any candidate or party.)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Walls And Bridges

I was really surprised this week when the Pope entered the election fray and made a comment about presidential candidate, Donald Trump, not being a Christian if he is wanting to build walls (on the Mexican border) and not bridges. 

And then the Trump campaign pointing out that the Vatican City is surrounded by what of all things…a very big wall!

We have a history in the U.S. of separation of Church and State and a First Amendment that codifies this as law. 

To me, unless a candidate is truly criminal, discriminatory, or evil in their conduct, it’s not appropriate for a lofty religious figure to publicly question their personal faith like that. 

Further, when it comes to immigration this is not just an issue in America, but all over Europe now with the refugee crisis, and in many other places in the world. 

Of course, we most definitely need to welcome refugees fleeing persecution, conflict, catastrophe, or war. 

But when immigration is principally an economic migration, this is something for each nation to debate and decide for what is best for them.

This is not an endorsement of any candidate or party, but rather an acknowledgement that we shouldn’t:

1) Mix religion and politics (and impose undue influence in a sovereign nation’s elections)

2) Judge our neighbors faith by valid policy debates

3) Throw stones in glass houses (or walled areas as the case may be).

If building bridges is what is promoted and preferred here then the Pope and Trump should kiss (proverbially-speaking that is) and make up. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Wild Advertising Art

I took this photo of an ad for Milagro Tequila on the side of a tour bus in Washington, D.C.

Milagro (“Miracle”) is a company that prides itself on it’s collaboration with artists to create cool murals to advertise it’s liquor. 

Tequila is made from the sweet, fruity, blue agave plant from northwest Mexico, hence the writing over the mural saying, “Agave Expressionism.”

It must be challenging to look out the windows of this tour bus covered in this very blue mural and messaging. 

Why is this ad effective? 

First, it is intense and exciting–the vibrant colors, the big mask with the bulging eyes, and the skulls with the green leafy stuff growing out of the head. 

Second, it really is a work of art, and you wouldn’t expect to see this on a regular tour bus shlepping around town. 

Third, the cultural contrast between the Mexican artistic expressionism and the rest of the comparatively humdrum city life is standout. 

Fourth, after a long hard day at work, people are tired, thirsty, and ready for some fun–so this is a welcome message.

Overall, this has the creativity and connection with the people to hit the mark–pretty neat. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)