My backyard is on the border. To me, “build that wall” is not a slogan. To me, the fight over a border wall is not…
My backyard is on the border. To me, “build that wall” is not a slogan. To me, the fight over a border wall is not an abstract argument about politics. To me — and to my family and neighbors — construction of a border wall is personal.
My family has lived on land along the Rio Grande in Starr County, Texas, for at least five generations. I have lived on this land for more than 40 years; my father lives next to me, alongside the land where my grandfather lived. We still use a wooden corral built by my great-grandfather for keeping farm animals. My grandchild and nieces and nephews play in the same places where their parents and grandparents played.
In all my time here, I have never seen an “invasion” of criminals or drug traffickers or gang members rushing across the border, as the president described in a press conference. In fact, I can’t remember ever seeing a migrant cross the river from Mexico and come across my family’s property. To do so, someone would have to climb up the soft bluff that runs alongside the river at the end of my property. The natural barrier of the river and the bluff makes my family’s property unattractive as a crossing place.
Read more commentary:
Trump’s border wall won’t solve addiction crisis — but finally targeting big pharma can
An illegal immigrant killed my daughter.
