The 2nd installment of the "Borderline Perspective" series by guest writer, M. Benavidez.
If you and I were to walk out of my back door and head south through the desert, in about three and a half hours, (the time it takes the average person to walk 13 miles) we could be in Mexico.
If we got in my car, we could not drive through the desert, but even with drive time to the Port of Entry we could be in Mexico in about thirty minutes. Some members of my family could be in Mexico in less than ten, because of their proximity to The Border.
I follow closely the discussion of the Border Issue in the United States. Most of which, seems to be regarding illegal immigration, border fencing or the Drug War. Those making Border Policies are nearly two-thousand miles away, and seem to have little regard for the lives of Bordertown Americans or those whom their policies affect.
It is easy to make decisions, or for that matter, judgments about people living thousands of miles away. These are judgments made by not only our government, but the American public. Though sometimes seemingly disregarded, the collective voice of the people can play a large role in government policies. It's easy to join the mainstream media voice on issues when you have never seen nor do you know the people of a community. When we can create a mental space, based on the geographic space between us and other people, it is easy for us to discount their needs or their suffering.
Much of the majority voice will tell you that you shouldn't care about Mexico or the Mexican people. Why should we worry or care about Mexico when there's Baghdad and Syria? Why should we care if it's only Mexican killing other Mexican, they're all a bunch of cartel members anyways, right? This negative thought process is taking away from our basic human compassion. We are allowing geographic distance to determine our levels of compassion. While it is important to start with compassion at home, it is also important to see that we as humans are all connected.
Whether you live in Brooklyn or Seattle, you are still three to five thousand miles closer to Juarez, Mexico than you are to Baghdad or any other Middle Eastern conflict nation. Yet, the mainstream media spin has Americans way more concerned about radical Islamists than they are of a raging war right on The Border. Though I understand that the supposed threat to America is far greater if you're talking about chemical war or terrorism, the Drug War is already here, and it's not just in Mexico. The Drug War has killed one person every half hour for the last seven years. The death total is greater than the total number of deaths from The Wars on Terror and 9/11 combined. Among those dead were nearly six thousand Americans, who died in America, fighting the Mexican Drug War on our streets. The drug war is not only victimizing the families and youth of Mexico, but the United States as well. Does is not make sense that we should be concerned about a war that is taking place in our streets, in our backyards, just as much as we care about a threat from oversees? The Drug War isn't even a threat, it's real and people are suffering. People are dying.
Let's take another example of geographic location being used to determine compassion levels.
Would it be OK for me as an American to say that what happened on 9/11 didn't matter to me because it's thousands of miles away? That would be wrong of me. Not because I am an American, but because it happened to all Americans. It is wrong because what happened to thoseinnocent lives was wrong. They had nothing to do with government policies or war. They didn't deserve to be murdered. They were just trying to work to support their families, when all of a sudden terror was thrust upon them. Those statements would all be true of both 9/11 and the daily lives of many Mexican families.
When we open ourselves to the idea that we are all human and that it matters for the same reasons, the world suddenly becomes a much smaller place. Distance does not and should not matter when it come to human suffering. We, as humans, should be outraged by the atrocities being committed by humans against humans, no matter where they happen.
I was blessed to be born in the United States. If you are an American, you were too. I understand the post 9/11 mentality that we should put Americans first. The truth is, we as Americans are giving and loving people. We care about others. We aren't tired of helping other people or other nations, we are tired of war. It feels hopeless. It feels bigger than us, bigger than any difference we could make. That's not true. We all have the ability to change the world.
We have to start in the microcosm that is our own communities. Start with yourself. Let go of the negative thought process that tells you that you don't make a difference. Get informed, then get involved. Start where you live. Start with issues that matter to you. Start with your people. Just start. Recognize that any human suffering is the suffering of us all. When we positively impact the lives of others in our community, in our nation, in our world, we are positively impacting our own lives. Be the voice of the voiceless, wherever you find them. You are the positive change you seek.