A Statement Against the Proposed Border Wall by Rio Grande Valley Friends Meeting

The Rio Grande Valley Friends Meeting is opposed to a physical wall at the United States-Mexico border.

(1) We believe a physical barrier would be environmentally devastating to an already stressed ecosystem that is unique in the world and home to a wide variety of rare and endangered creatures. The damage would come from the isolation of breeding populations, loss of access to water, and increased damage from flooding.

(2) We believe a militarized border does not reflect the familial and economic reality of the border and would be harmful to the social and economic life here.

Building a wall that damages the natural interactions of adjacent communities creates artificial distance between those groups. In human communities, separation facilitates dehumanization and violence. True peace and security stem from healthy, productive relationships between communities not artificial boundaries.

Endorsed by South Central Yearly Meeting at its annual session, March 2008