Bowden’s “Our Wall”

1. In Our Wall, Bowden’s purpose is to describe the consequences of the construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall and to explain his arguments against it. He wants to make the discussion more personal than it typically is, especially by including the opinions of some inhabitants of towns near the border (primarily of the wall’s opponents, but also some supporters). The author wants to advocate for peace and unity between the U.S. and Mexico and to denounce the border wall. Bowden’s main goal is to present his view that the wall is racist and toxic to America’s identity.

 

2. The author utilizes an appeal to pathos to strengthen his argument against the border wall. Bowden includes emotional stories of the obstacles migrants face when attempting to cross the border. For example, he states, “The border is haunted by ghosts—the hundreds who die each year from heat and cold…killed in car wrecks flee[ing] the Border Patrol, and the increasing violence”. Here, the author brings his audience to sympathize with the pain that these migrants feel and the trials they are subjected to. Emotions of sadness and frustration regarding the inhumane condition of migrants are evoked by this statement. He makes the people being discussed seem more human and individualizes them by drawing attention to their “intricate lives”. Rather than simply presenting facts or statistics, he adds emotion to his argument to persuade his audience.

 

3. I disagree with Bowden’s point in the essay for a few crucial reasons, but I acknowledge that this is a very sensitive topic and respect other people’s points of view. For one thing, I do not think that the walls formed by dictators or corrupt powers, such as the Berlin wall, can be applied to the nature of the wall between the U.S. and Mexico. This is because the wall on our southern border is a matter of national security; it is not a matter of keeping Americans in the U.S., nor a matter of hating on our neighboring country, but a matter of national defense. Celebrities will often claim to support illegal immigration and oppose the border wall on the grounds that it is racist and we must accept everyone. Yet when you look at their houses, they will have massive walls and extensive security protecting their property. Why? Because people are not trustworthy and do bad things, and these celebrities want to protect themselves from these possible threats to their safety. They are not saying that all people are terrible, but they acknowledge that some people act dangerously and should be kept out of their house, even if other people might come to their houses and act perfectly decent. America is our home, and that is why it is justifiable to have a wall, by the same logic that it is justifiable for celebrities to have them.

Supporting the wall does not mean one is completely against immigration, nor does it make someone racist; it just means they are against illegal immigration. I would not exist if not for immigration-my Opa came here legally many years ago from Germany. Thus, I value immigration and believe that it is beneficial to our nation; after all, we are a nation of immigrants and of people making great human progress. We should help those in need and try to aid those urgently seeking immigration to escape terrible things, but we should do so cautiously and wisely. In conclusion, I enjoyed reading this passage, even if I disagree with the author’s central belief.