Broken Heart at the Border
12.31.20 by Ernie Lopez
Broken Heart at The Border
12/31/20 by Ernie Lopez
Our southern border with Mexico is a perfect example of the divisiveness we experience as Americans. I believe many Americans would like to continue the construction of The Wall to keep “undesirables” from coming to the United States. As 2020 ends increased efforts have accelerated to build as much of the wall as possible before the purse strings for the wall come to an end. Hopefully, the grinding sound of machinery to put up steel pillars and the continued desecration of the land between the U.S. and Mexico will fade into the sunset like a bad dream.
I created “Broken Heart at The Border” as a piece to express the many thoughts and feelings I have regarding this ugly example of the divisiveness and separation of human beings. Someone once called this monstrosity, “my big, beautiful wall.” I’ve been to the wall and to me it is an unattractive and unwelcoming structure that seems to provide some Americans with a sense of safety and protection from foreigners intent on destroying our American way of life.
My interpretation of the piece:
On the center-left of the heart is an old broken light. The bulb is burned out and no longer provides the shinning light of liberty, freedom and opportunity. Beginning in 1970, Ronald Reagan began to use John Winthrop’s 1668 quote, “we shall be as a city upon a hill,” to articulate American exceptionalism. Yes, we are exceptional in many ways but in many ways we fail to live up to that aspiration.
On the upper-left of the heart is a hodge lodge of metal strips to symbolize the wall. A few pesos have been placed on the wall to remind us that the wall was to have been for paid by Mexico.
The green strips of metal surrounding the wall are symbolic of the enforcement mechanism created to keep peace and order at the border.
The red dots symbolize the many individuals who have died, in the attempt to reach the United States in search of a better life. A shout out to “No More Deaths,” a humanitarian organization based in southern Arizona, dedicated to educating Arizonans and others about migrant deaths in the desert.
At the lower-right of the heart are two red dots for Oscar and Valerie Martinez (An El Salvadorian father and daughter) who drowned in the Rio Grande in July of 2019, attempting to enter the United States. All too often, I take for granted the freedom and privilege I enjoy as a citizen of the U.S. I give little thought to the many risks others endure in an attempt to make a better life in our country.
My version of a cell block or cage is shown In the upper-right portion of the heart. It is a reminder of the types of living conditions many undocumented migrants experience, waiting to be granted asylum or deportation to their country of origin.
Finally, the heart is surrounded by a fence type enclosure to symbolize our efforts to keep the hordes of “undesirables” from entering and soiling our American purity. Sadly, the barrier isolates us from the beauty, richness, and diversity of the rest of the world.
One final thought about the use of our flag colors red, white, and blue throughout the piece. Many of us claim fiercely to be American patriots and to honor the flag. But do we honor the same flag or our individual definition of what it means? A question that is always on my mind is, what does it mean to be an American?
What are your thoughts?