This year’s Center for Ethics theme is about national borders, and in Vincent Cornell’s writing about the networking of Ibn Battuta, it speaks about the Circle of Equity, which in a sense, talks about borders on page 34. Specifically, he says, “The world is a garden, and its walls are the state” (Cornell 34). This quote represents a nation-state sentiment, and gives the idea that once you leave a certain nation-state, every aspect can change, like language, culture, and accepted norms. Relating to class discussions and any of the Center for Ethics presentations, we feel that there is a distinct connection that can be made between this quote and what is happening in today’s society with immigration policies. Do you think that governments, specifically that of the US, are still implementing this same idea? Why/ why not?
Ashleigh and Jeff
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4 thoughts on “Borders: Then and Now”
stabakha
Yes, I believe that the United States is still implementing this idea that “the world is a garden, and its walls are the state” because many individuals within politics are surrounding their ideas with the concept of having the United States closed off, to give citizens their “safety”. However, it has gotten carried away to the point where individuals are expressing racial hate towards some people with the violence that we are witnessing. Despite those circumstances, individuals within the United States are very diverse and their efforts of presenting that are great, even though some people do not accept some of those beliefs or cultural thoughts. I think people in the United States who are of the minority should continue to express their “outsider” feelings to show that nations should be more diverse and to hopefully let more people accept that there are going to be people different than them, which is okay. The United States needs to learn how to do that immediately.
Henry Giwa
The U.S. moves similar to this “nation-state sentiment” keeping this barrier that ultimately building this literal war and barriers to actually become apart of the U.S. Our current president administration has taken a strong stance on his immigration policies highlight his Immigration Ban, Removal of DACA, and Increased Construction of Detention Facilities and Dentition of Immigrants. It’s harder than ever to immigrate to the U.S. legally since immigration papers are expensive and can take up to multiple years to get done.
gsbaum
I believe their are social injustice and inequality within these borders and “walls” that separate state from state and country from country. For example, when a guest speaker and cultural anthropologist came to Muhlenberg and held discussion, she exemplifies how these walls and boundaries are unethical and show examples of social injustices and inequalities. Moreover, the Mexican border had sharp, jagged walls as boundaries, and other tactical ways of implementing boundaries that could’ve potentially been fatal or “sets someone up” for death. I believe in current times, especially the U.S., the boundaries are a little bit extra and harmful to those that may just be looking for increased or improved opportunities.
mmrajan
This post has made me realize something: merely crossing any border, whether it be a contested one or a distinct one, suddenly brings on the assumption that the culture can change in some way. And honestly, I’m not sure if it’s an assumption anymore but actually a certainty. I certainly believe that the U.S. government functions in this way—and not just in a state-by-state basis, but even within states. Even switching zip codes can show major changes and set someone up for a particular future.