They are lines. Often imaginary. Yet profoundly powerful. Borders do not merely separate land. They divide peoples. Cultures. And even ideas. They are the outcome of conflicts and agreements. Capable of protection. And capable of imprisonment. They define identities. And create outsiders. They continue to ignite deep debate in a rapidly changing world. These sayings contemplate the nature of these physical and symbolic divisions.
āWe can look forward to the day when the free flow of trade, from the southern reaches of Tierra del Fuego to the northern outposts of the Arctic Circle, unites the people of the Western Hemisphere in a bond of mutually beneficial exchange, when all borders become what the U.S.-Canadian border so long has been: a meeting place, rather than a dividing line.ā
āI said to one young activist who herself was the daughter of an undocumented worker, and so could speak from a very personal and legitimate perspective - I remember saying to her: I agree with you, from a moral perspective, that a child from Honduras is worth the same as my daughter. God is not a respecter of boundaries; he's not saying that American kids deserve a better life than Honduran kids. But I'm the president of the United States, and the nation-state by definition means that boundaries mean something and borders mean something.ā
