DOWN ON THE BORDER----PART 1

DENTAL APPOINTMENT IN ALGODONES, MEXICO---Begins in Yuma, AZ parking lot--- Taking note of the labor busses that bring Mexican braceros to the nearby vegetable fields. Note that each bus tows behind it two porta johns-----and something more----

Sanitation facilities for handwashing. Farmers really want to prevent contamination of their harvest.

Dr Fernando Dominguez works on me. I've used this dentist for years---a root canal specialist affiliated with the Rubio team.

Afterwards I bike the back streets of Algodones catching glimpses of the impressive steel wall separating two nations.

I'll follow it to the edge of town.

Until it disappears into the sand dunes west of town.---Keep in mind that it's 14 feet high.

Mexican Cemetery also out there.

Struck me as curious--a gloved guy--seemingly de-fleing his pet. Surprising because dogs are generally not pampered over here.

Broad dirt streets on the south end of town.

On the very fringes of town---shacks like these.

and this one in a salt-crusted field.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES: Robert Frost's poem Mending Wall comes to mind. "Something there is that doesn't love a wall"---He challenges his neighbor to consider why there's a wall separating them. His neighbor's classic reply: "GOOD FENCES MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS". I agree with this sentiment----and more!!!---walls help define us---create managable environments--give us a bit of security--(like the Israeli wall)--keep out the unwanted (like gated communities or rabbit fences in Australia)--provide cozy comfort like the walls of my trailer----but, most subtley and important, are the walls of our personal armor (those behaviors---projections and deflections to ward off painful and scary others)---a scowling face and defensive manner will keep the gentle world outside--but condemn the defensive scowler to loneliness. I guess I'm arguing for useful walls and aginst useless ones.

The wall we put in Mexico's face is deservedly offensive. It says to them we do not wish to absorb your surplus population---we regard you as an irresponsible neighbor forcing US to defend ourselves against what amounts to national theft. Have you noticed that no such "in your face" wall is necessary with responsible neighbors like Canada?