Bound by Absurdity

Border: the outer part or edge.

Boundary: something that indicates or fixes a limit or extent.

What is the outer part or edge of Earth? The ice wall that inhibits us from falling off the face of the planet. 
What is Earth’s boundary? The glass dome holding humanity hostage on Earth because the moon landing was filmed in the a Hollywood studio basement. 
No, these ideas are absurd, but a wall stretching across a continent to prevent the freedom of migration is okay?  Where do we draw the line? 

This led me to  the history of borders in human civilization. In ancient Greece, Delphic priests believed that the freedom of migration was one of the four freedoms that determined liberty from slavery. The United States of America is proud of being the land of the free, but not allowing citizens of Earth to migrate seems to contradict that . Does the United States have the right to bound others from entry? By not allowing liberty to individuals, we are essentially saying they are slaves to Earth. That thought disturbs me, but how far could it go? What is stopping the United States and Mexico border from becoming identical to the border of North and South Korea?

When Korea separated into two nations, North Korea put up borders to bound its citizens from migration, creating refugees, and restricted immigration into its nation. Sounds eerily familiar doesn’t it. How far away is the United States from prohibiting citizens who want to migrate somewhere else? The boundary created between North and South Korea is known as the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Both nations’ military are stationed on opposite sides of the zone armed to the teeth with weapons and explosions. Both countries don't enter the zone because they are afraid of death and war. However, there are refugees who flea North Korea, but the individuals who are caught can spend a lifetime in captivity. Children can be held for a period of time as well, but eventually are released. 

 “The division is more than a physical boundary—it limits imagination and empathy and connection,” David Guttenfelder. Journalists are able to visit both sides of Korea, and David, a photojournalist, has been there over 40 times. Had I not told you this quote was about the division between Korea, you may have thought he was describing the United States and Mexico border.

How long until the United States and Mexico set up their own DMZ? A wall would only expedite that outcome. There is no ice wall or dome that binds us to Earth restricting our freedom of migration, so why should there be one that bounds humanity from each other. In the future, humanity may settle on a new world, but in order to arrive there, we still need to settle together on Earth.