Fenced In.

So it's been a while since I've had anything to say. Know that I have started several blogs, only not to finish them because they were dumb, or because my work computer is evil and wouldn't allow me to finish them. There was a very good one about how evangelical churches feel they are losing teens to the evils of popular culture, but then the article was made available only by payment on the New York Times Web site. But just know, that it was going to be a really fiery blog.

A few moments ago, I was reading a New York Times story about the approval of a bill to fence in 700 miles of the border between the United States and Mexico. And of course, I was fired up enough to write something. I am somewhat distressed by the thought of a huge fence going up to seperate one group of people from another anywhere it happens. Borders should be things drawn on maps, not things that exist in real time. It's like creating a giant gated community because we don't want the riff-raff to come into our swanky neighborhood. When in reality we are responsible for the conditions on the other side of that fence, that we insist on protecting ourselves from. Just because things are out of our line of sight does not mean that we hold no responsibility for correcting them.

I understand very well that most of my opinions are very idealistic. I work more on a good-of-humanity level than a practical politics/diplomacy level. A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a friend who actually knows alot about and has a very good understanding of the political system. He helped me to understand some stuff, though I still don't like it. I will choose to stay in my utopian headspace and hope that someone can put my thoughts into practice.