October 26, 2006

Re: The U.S.-Mexico Border Fence

To the Editor:

If you want evidence of human arrogance and stupidity, you need look no farther than the U.S.-Mexico Border Fence! Proposing to build a fence between the U.S. and Mexico indicates that, once again, we fail to recognize that wildlife are important and that they, like we, require the ability to travel. At the same time that we are causing global warming, forcing species to move north to find suitable habitat to which they are acclimated, we are blocking their path!

Building a fence to stop immigration is like tightening your belt to prevent weight gain. Let's address the causes, not the symptoms: invest in improving the quality of life for our neighbors. That would also be a good policy for other regions, such as the Middle East. (Of course, that may require "regime change" at home.)

Michael J. Vandeman, Ph.D.