Good reasons to build the wall

To the editor: This is in response to a Sound Off call titled “Great walls of fire.”

The Democratic and Republican colors did not come into existence until the invention of the color television in the 1960s. Then it was said that the color blue came to represent Republicans because Abraham Lincoln, who led the North against the South, and the Union soldiers were dressed in blue, and were called “blue bellies.” The term blue bellies was a derogatory term used by the Confederate armies to imply the cowardice of the northern armies during the Civil War, and was possibly derived from the term “yellow belly.”

The color blue was not official to the Republican Party, and each of the three networks during the presidential election elections from 1960 up until the year 2000 used a variety of colors on their election maps to designate, including yellow, state winners. During the 1980 election, as results of the Republican nominee Ronald Reagan’s 44 state lead were being projected, David Brinkley quoted that the election map “looked like a suburban swimming pool” because the color blue was being used to represent the Republican party and President Reagan’s landslide victory. By 2000, to avoid confusion, the Republican and Democratic parties made their official colors red and blue, respectively.

As far as “the wall” is concerned, the White House has a wrought-iron fence around it, most of our American embassies have walls around them, as do many of our federal institutions. Over the past centuries, many civilizations, nations and peoples have been using walls, fences, hedgerows, castles, forts, mansions, locks, alarms, etc. These barriers are used to love and protect the ones we are entrusted, or blessed, to have on our journey through life against the natural instinct of man. I know that it is hard to believe, but evil, wickedness, iniquity, vice, maleficence, crime and sin do exist.

I understand how it is difficult to see on today’s world, but just walk into any Narcotics Anonymous meeting and listen to the horror stories that are being told. Talk to any parent who has lost a child to drugs (God bless you all) or any legitimate pain patient who has difficulty getting their medication. The fact that between 80 and 90 percent of illegal narcotics, our described crisis in America â€" Shamokin, Mount Carmel or any other coal region town â€" come from our southern border is just one of many damn good reasons to put up a wall. The eradication of heroin, methamphetamines and fentanyl to protect our future is well worth the price, and without a doubt costs less than police, treatment, hospital visits and rescue personnel and, dare I say, costs less than the life of a mother, father, child, friend or neighbor.

We are all in favor of immigration, legal immigration for the poor, destitute and huddled masses who yearn to breathe free. But it must be done as it was for many of our forefathers and foremothers. Benjamin Franklin once said, “We must always love our neighbor, but don’t rip out the hedges.”

Finally, the official symbol for the Republican Party is an elephant because it never forgets, and the official symbol for the Democratic Party is a donkey because, well, it’s just an ass.