A World Without Borders

I wrote this piece for the International Day of Peace on September 21. Since then, on a global scale, the conflict has only grown, not ceased. I may come off as naive or like a dreamer, but I really do believe in the beauty and the idea that the only peaceful reality for the future is a world without borders.

I am politically neutral and will never change that stance and pick one party or side over another. I feel very strongly that politicizing human rights or any community issue makes it possible to make inhumane choices without fear of moral backlash. 

It brings it to a philosophical debate, not a realistic quandary. The problem ceases to be about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and creating lasting peace. It becomes a team game of us versus them, saving face and counting tallies. There is no having to go out and get your hands dirty, no visiting with anyone who needs your help directly. You may have the means and ability to do more than feed a few mouths or fill a few sandbags. I can generally agree that money is still action, but if that money never buys anything for anyone in need or builds anything of lasting value, it has objectively failed to accomplish anything.

I posit that taking a politically neutral stance is not abdicating social responsibility, it is, in fact, doing the opposite. It is freeing yourself to participate openly in society. I do not advocate for anarchy; I think things should be done orderly and that the government is designed to organize the functions of society. I am happy to pay my taxes, participate on a jury of my peers, and do any number of things set up by the government I am living under. I object to politics being touted as the pinnacle of human accomplishments and used to oppress and murder “other” people. The political discourse itself is not an accomplishment. There are no “other people”; there are only people with cultural norms different from our own.

More importantly, the only winners in war are those lining their pockets. The temporary sense of accomplishment those who “win” feel is quickly overtaken by new feuds and grudges. Igniting the cycle anew.

This monstrously destructive cycle of hatred and violence must be broken on every level. In the home, in our cities, and across the world.

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedI dream of a glistening jewelblue and greenperfect and pristinenot guarded with barbed wirecrisscrossed with black marker lineschopped up and dividedwith only a payout in mindI dream of a landconnected and freenot sea-to-seapeace and freedomshining like a beaconfrom the Earth in its entiretymy hands are weary, shakingwith the weight ofall those still shackled tofate, the inhumanity of waras puppets on stringshold mock debatesI dream of peoplesomething seemingly ofinfinite supplyeach is preciousbeyond all comprehensionyet somehow definablein the blink of an eyesight can be deceivinghow many angelshave you held backchained to the groundjust to proveno one can really flyI dream of flying pigsbecause peace I knowis a reality in weary heartsthe world overwe have onlyto pour out understandinggive peace awaythe most expensive giftcosting faceI dream of a clear futureunburdened ofthe past hard won for manyto walk awayseems a disrespect to someyet the cake comes outof the oven the secondit is bakedI dream that we canbe done with hatethe poisoned fruitthat keeps sickeningeach generation when they’rehanded down a piecegiven a tasteI dream Peace, joy, and loveare far sweeterlet us acquire a wantto accomplish the goalsthat all in our past have strivento achieveyet some fall asthey find it’s not withintheir weakening graspgrappling with human frailtyis no easy taskI dream of a world withoutborders, withoutbigotry, withoutbullies, withouthate

Thank you for giving me your time

I hope you will look for local charities that support all those affected by the ongoing conflicts. Don’t forget to look at what they actually need. Time and money are always in fashion, but spoiled food never is.

No human deserves to live in unsafe conditions of any kind.