A guest post by Friend of Justice, Charles Kiker 

“[God] has broken down the dividing wall.” St. Paul

“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” Robert Frost

“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall.” Ronald Reagan

On the weekend of October 3-4, I was in El Paso attending my final meeting of the Board of Directors of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas. Due to some health difficulties and to the increasing challenge of reaching meeting venues from my home in the Panhandle, I had been contemplating resigning my post for quite some time. My term was to expire in April 2010, so I decided to hold on through the October ’09 quarterly meeting, and get a chance for a brief visit to El Paso as part of the deal. I’m glad I did.

On Saturday afternoon we sat through the usual processes of approval of minutes of the former meeting and various reports, we loaded up in cars and went to Annunciation House, a shelter for undocumented people which operates openly and with at least tacit ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) approval. In fact, from time to time ICE refers people to Annunciation House rather than putting them in detention.

People at Annunciation House come into direct contact with immigrants, both documented and undocumented. One documented worker in Colorado died with his surviving spouse living in Mexico. In order to get her Social Security survivor’s benefits she has to be legally in the United States for a thirty day period once every six months. We were told that this requirement does not apply to survivors in Europe or Canada, but I have not been able to verify this claim.

The situation at the border near El Paso is extremely serious due to the activities of the drug cartels. People with no involvement with the cartels are routinely slaughtered for no offense but being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The police, and increasingly the Mexican army, look the other way. Family member on the wrong side of a dispute are routinely threatened and frequently murdered. People whose lives are threatened are routinely denied asylum by ICE.

I asked the question there, I will ask it again in these paragraphs: ”What would happen to the drug cartels if we read in the morning paper that cannabis had been legalized or decriminalized in the United States?” The history of prohibition and repeal suggests it would deal a major body blow to the Mexican cartels and thus eliminate much of the suffering and violence associated with the drug trade between our countries.

Later in the day we visited the border fence between New Mexico and Mexico. When we got out of the van and approached the fence, children from the other side began flocking toward us. While I do not speak Spanish, I could understand that they were asking for “una dollare.”

What would Jesus do? I wondered if he recognizes that dividing wall of partition between us. I didn’t wonder long. My faith tells me emphatically that he does not!

That evening we dined sumptuously (and expensively) at a restaurant near the wall, bringing into stark contrast our abundance with the poverty of the children on the other side.

What would Jesus do?

Mr. Obama, tear down that wall!

Charles Kiker

October, 2009

Charles Kiker is a Baptist minister living in retirement in Tulia, Texas.  As charter members of Friends of Justice, Charles and Patricia Kiker were instrumental in the fight for justice in their home town.