A Wall, you Say?

            I semi-recently came across a video on Facebook headlined; “Build the Wall: The Best Argument You’ll Ever Hear”.  This video was posted by an individual I had previously never heard of; Charlie Kirk. In the video Kirk makes what proponents for a wall at the southern border might call a compelling argument by throwing out “facts”.  At first glance it is compelling, until you begin digging into it. So, I decided to take a look at these “facts” and test their accuracy.

“An illegal alien in AZ is 2 times as likely to commit a crime as a natural born citizen.”

            Presumably, this statistic was taken by Kirk from a report often quoted by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in early 2018. According to the Washington Times, the report was prepared by the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) and utilized data centering on illegal immigrants (Dinan, 2018). The CPRC was founded by oft-cited Dr. John Lott. It is worth mentioning that the CPRC is typically aligned with conservative media outlets, however their website declares that it is listed as a non-profit organization and accepts no funding from groups such as the NRA (CPRC, n.d.). The analysis stood out from its predecessors due to its look at crimes committed by those in the country illegally, rather than crimes committed by those here legally. Sequentially, these results challenge previous studies that determined immigrants on the whole committed less crimes than typical citizens. If you are interested you may download the full report HERE.

            In response to the CPRC study, the Cato Institute reviewed the findings. The data used for the study was provided by the Arizona Department of Corrections (ADC). In contrast to the CPRC, it should be noted that the Cato Institute reports itself as a “public policy research organization — a think tank — dedicated to the principles of individual liberty” (Cato Institute, n.d.). They claim they are funded primarily through private non-governmental donors. Reviewer and author Alex Nowrasteh at the Cato Institute determined the numbers were skewed due to a misinterpretation of how the ADC defined citizenship, and the variables surrounding that definition (2018). According to Nowrasteh, he was given a secondary data set that mimicked the sample used by the CPRC (from 1985-2017), and deemed it unusable due to the inability to properly define and separate the citizenship variable (2018).  

RESULT: Unconfirmed

            The data the CPRC presented is questionable. However, even if it were accurate, one must ask themselves for an individual (immigrant or otherwise, legal or otherwise) that has no qualms about breaking laws and committing crimes, would illegally crossing, or otherwise bypassing a border wall be a deterrent for entry into the U.S.?

“90% of all fentanyl and heroin is transported across the southern border”

            This statement is a favorite of President Trump, and likely where Kirk discovered the stat. However, that doesn’t make it untrue.  In fact, most news outlets report this statement as accurate (Lopez, 2019; Vesoulis, Law, & Martinez, 2019).

RESULT: Confirmed

            Although it seems most illegal drugs are entering from the southern border at present the idea that a border wall will stop this is thought of as a stretch by most experts. Essentially, drug traffickers usually employ legal means of entry to transport drugs into the U.S. across the southern border. Some experts have gone on record stating that there are far better investments in combating the opioid / drug epidemic than a wall (Specht, 2019).

“10,000 kids are sex trafficked across the southern border each year.”

            Personally, I could not find any reporting that delivered this precise of a figure specifically for children being trafficked. Yet, before I go further let me provide some background on sex trafficking itself. Human trafficking for both sex and labor is more prevalent in the U.S. than most Americans believe. In fact, some authorities have argued that with its resources the U.S. could effectively end human trafficking. One such way to impact trafficking would be if our government made it a priority through fighting for increased criminal penalties for traffickers and more strict repercussions with non-compliant nations as identified by the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.

RESULT: Undisputed

            While I would not dismiss the statistic used here by Kirk, I would offer that IF a wall were employed in combating sex trafficking into the U.S., and IF it were successful it does nothing for the enslaved victims on either side of the border, other than guarantee they are shipped somewhere other than the U.S. or Mexico.

“56,000 illegal immigrants are in our federal prison system”

                This is another factoid that fluctuates depending on the time of citation and the source. Some outlets have the DOJ reporting this figure as 57k, or roughly 26% of federal prisoners being illegal aliens (Center for Immigration Studies, 2019).

RESULT: Undisputed

                This figure seems to accurately capture the number of incarcerated illegal immigrants in our federal system. Kirk also goes onto mention that there are more uncounted immigrants within our state’s prison system as well, and there is no reason to deny this claim as inaccurate.

“$135 billion spent on illegal immigrants by American taxpayers”

            Illegal immigrants being housed by our justice system are just one aspect of federal spending that taxpayers are on the hook for to combat illegal entry into the U.S.  Unfortunately, this figure also proved compromised when the report it was based upon was critiqued heavily for glaring flaws, such as overestimating the number of illegal immigrants (Athey, 2018). A figure that by nature is near-impossible to accurately measure.

RESULT: Unconfirmed

            While you can dispute the dollar amount spent by taxpayers on illegal immigrants, you cannot dispute that there is, in fact an amount. Meaning, we as taxpayers are spending something on these individuals.

            However, from a cost perspective this discussion becomes moot when you realize that the cost of a border wall has been estimated at anywhere from $8 billion to $70 billion to build, with a fair estimate being gauged at around $25 billion, plus $750 million a year in maintenance (Vittert).

            If accurate, this means as a country we would recoup roughly $109 billion the first year following the wall’s completion. Following that, taxpayers would save a little over $134 billion annually, assuming that the wall was effective in completely ceasing illegal immigration, and related tax burdens, which as we’ve established, is unlikely.

“Fairness- It’s not fair…” (To other immigrants outside Mexico)

                To be fair, I did not endeavor to do a great deal of research on this statement as it is not quantifiable. Building a physical barrier to any border does nothing to guarantee equitable treatment of immigrants entering the country either legally or illegally.  

RESULT: Unconfirmed

            This line of speechifying highlights what is inherently wrong with having a discussion about a border wall in the first place: If what we really want to achieve is fairness for those wishing to become full-fledged citizens (or legally work here) then we should be discussing citizenship / immigration reform and efficiency. Vetting, and authenticating the will of an outsider is a part of that, but thinking that a wall will mete out some measure of fairness in any of this is absurd.

“Sovereignty- Our culture is much different than Mexico…”

            As this not quite two and a half minute video rolls, both the statistics and any trace of logic that are rolled out with them begin to break down (as is evidenced by the fact that they become less quantifiable, as with our prior example).

            In that vein, at around the two minute mark Kirk begins a diatribe about American culture versus Mexican culture claiming; “Our culture is much different and has outpaced them over the last 50 years.” Culture is not a competition. At its core, culture is based upon advancements in a particular area(s) that a society collectively values. These could be technological, economical, or conditional. It could also be community, quality of life or religion. It could also be any number of other areas of measure, again unquantifiable.

RESULT: Unconfirmed

            While you cannot argue that the United States has outpaced Mexico in terms of economic or technological growth, you cannot declare we have a greater sense of community or national pride than does Mexico. In fact, in the last two and a half years one could successfully argue that among 1^st world countries all things considered the U.S. is lacking in cultural depth due to our typically individualistic nature (DeAngelis, 2007).

FINAL CONCLUSION:

            Before I wrap up, I think it significant to add, I have nothing against Charlie Kirk, up until the 21st of January I had no idea who he was. Nor am I a geopolitical expert or a Facebook personality with any amount of measurable clout. I am is just a guy who can use Google. I am also against is rhetoric peppered with enough fact and scare tactics that it becomes palatable as fact, without actually being factual. This type of oratory pushes an agenda that offers no real solution.  

            Further, it can often be hard to wade through this rhetoric and dig deeper into a statistic, its source or a person’s agenda. The border wall, immigration and trafficking concerns are all issues that cannot be easily understood by a singular report or research group, regardless of their political affiliation, or lack thereof.  Moreover, the ways in which these reports are used are disingenuous, and often riddled with omissions, further supplanted by half-truths to prop up the agenda of one interest or another.

            At the end of the day the idea of a border wall as this magical cure-all for all of the ills outlined here is pure fantasy. However, after conducting some due diligence it is this author’s opinion that a border wall would guarantee two things:

1) More polarizing, divisive attitudes that our politicians on both sides can exploit for their own gain.

2) Ensure that traffickers (of people and substances) advance and alter their methods of transport to foil the very purpose of the wall.

Is there a problem with drugs and illegal immigrants entering the country at the southern border? YES

Will a border wall stop this phenomenon? NO

References

Athey, P. (2018, June 26). Does illegal immigration cost the United States more than $100 billion a year? Retrieved February 10, 2019, from AZ Central: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/fact-check/2018/06/26/paul-gosar-how-much-do-undocumented-immigrants-cost-economy/691997002/

Cato Institute. (n.d.). About Cato. Retrieved February 10, 2019, from Cato Institute: https://www.cato.org/about

Center for Immigration Studies. (2019, February 7). Immigration Data Portal. Retrieved February 10, 2019, from Center for Immigration Studies: https://cis.org/Immigration-Statistics-Data-Portal

CPRC. (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved February 10, 2019, from Crime Prevention Research Center: https://crimeresearch.org/about-us/

DeAngelis, T. (2007, April). America: A toxic lifestyle? Retrieved February 10, 2019, from American Pyschological Association: https://www.apa.org/monitor/apr07/america

Dinan, S. (2018, January 26). Washington Times. Retrieved February 10, 2019, from Illegals commit crimes at double the rate of native-born: Study: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jan/26/illegals-commit-crimes-double-rate-native-born-stu/

Lopez, G. (2019, January 8). Trump’s wall won’t do anything about the opioid epidemic. Retrieved February 10, 2019, from Vox: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/1/8/18174768/trump-wall-opioid-epidemic-heroin

Nowrasteh, A. (2018, February 5). The Fatal Flaw in John R. Lott Jr.’s Study on Illegal Immigrant Crime in Arizona. Retrieved February 10, 2019, from Cato Institute: https://www.cato.org/blog/fatal-flaw-john-r-lott-jrs-study-illegal-immigrant-crime-arizona

Specht, P. (2019, February 2). Would a border wall have prevented the opioid epidemic? Retrieved February 10, 2019, from Politifact: https://www.politifact.com/north-carolina/statements/2018/feb/02/ann-coulter/would-wall-have-prevented-opioid-epidemic/

U.S. Department of State. (2018, June). Trafficking in Persons Report. Retrieved February 10, 2019, from U.S. Department of State: https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/258876.pdf

Vesoulis, A., Law, T., & Martinez, G. (2019, January 8). Here Are the Facts Behind President Trump's Border Claims. Retrieved February 10, 2019, from Time: http://time.com/5497260/donald-trump-border-wall-fact-check/

Vittert, L. (n.d.). Trump's border wall -- how much it will actually cost according to a statistician. Retrieved February 10, 2019, from Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/trumps-border-wall-how-much-it-will-actually-cost-according-to-a-statistician

The "Truth" About Morality, OR Would I Lie to You?

            Before answering questions about moral behavior I believe it’s important to define what we consider moral in order to provide context for the answer. In my mind, for this exercise let’s say moral behavior is behavior that causes no harm to self or others, outside of that of microaggressions. The reason I am defining moral behavior this way is due to the fact that in general most people take part in mildly immoral behavior everyday. This may be simply to receive a desired effect from another person or to spare another’s feelings (Ley, 2017). Essentially, most of the immoral deception we engage in has its roots in some misguided altruism. As one might expect, this low-level type of immoral behavior is inconsequential, even if dishonest.  

            I absolutely think that most people (myself included) believe that they behave morally “most” of the time. To add to this point, Ley also notes that most liars truly do believe the lie as they tell it, or at least wish it were true (2017).  There is a famous quote that has been attributed to many, but it is something to the effect of “We all believe ourselves to be heroes of our own stories.” This is due to our typically egoistic nature, as we view the world, and our actions through our own lens, and it is difficult for many to step outside of this. Summarily, most of us can find a reason to justify even the poorest of moral behavior. Hence, the lack of empathy we see in many corners of our modern world. When viewed through this stripped down real-world perception; there are no heroes or villains, just those with different agendas[1].   

           I believe most people decide what is morally just based on their own internal rationalization. As alluded to earlier, it becomes easy for us to justify action (or inaction) based on our feelings and interpretations of what is going on around us or happening to us. This personal opinion is also shored up by Tsang who concludes immoral behaviors are decided upon through multifaceted cognitive processes as well as environmental or situational pressures (2002).

          In conclusion, what is moral is different and even ever-changing for each of us through the course of our lives. What makes up your moral code?

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[1] Yes this is a quote from Daredevil, not academic in nature but still worthwhile for this discussion.

References

Ley, D. J. (2017, January 23). 6 Reasons People Lie When They Don’t Need To. Retrieved January 16, 2019, from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/women-who-stray/201701/6-reasons-people-lie-when-they-don-t-need

Tsang, J.-A. (2002). Moral rationalization and the integration of situational factors and psychological processes in immoral behavior. Review of General Psychology, 6(1), 25–50. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/1089-2680.6.1.25

Window Shopping: Kingdom Without a King- Part 10

I stepped closer to the man, immediately I felt Praesus’ hand on my shoulder. “What are you doing?”

Not knowing what to say, I said nothing at all. There was something that drew me to this man, to this prisoner. Who knew how long the Allaine’s and their cohorts had held him here against his will. Following some deep urge, I reached for the restraints that bound his right wrist.

Praesus, having never let go of my shoulder, pulled me back before I could make any progress at loosening his shackles. I could only see that their weight had gouged his wrists badly, leaving a circular trail of crimson over broken skin.

“He is not our concern.” Praesus spoke through clenched teeth. Old Rufus sniffed idly at the broken crown on the stone floor, and seemed to agree with Praesus’ stance.  In a hurry, Rufus trotted to Praesus’ side, an act I had never seen him to prior to that moment. I couldn’t tell if he was warming up to Praesus, or simply wanted to keep his distance from the shackled man.

“He is our concern,” I urged, pointing at the mam, “This could’ve been us!”

“We’ve no clue who he is, or what they are holding him for!” Praesus was, as usual, quick to anger and quick to expose the tenuous nature of our partnership.

I asserted, “You mean were holding, as soon as we are able, we are setting him free. I’m not leaving him here for the remnants of this  group to do with him as they see fit.”

Praesus’ face was the definition of disbelief, “You just used trickery, and the love of two siblings to subdue a woman who’s very reason for vengeance against you was due to you turning her brother into a flesh eating monster who you control, and now suddenly you feel like now is a prop’r moment for charity?” Praesus spoke slowly and methodically.

I shrugged, “You gotta pick your spots.”

Arms up in futility, Praesus swore and threw back his head in a hardy laugh.

“Hey, don’t try to make me out to be the bad guy here. I didn’t see you coming up with any morally acceptable means of escaping this shithole for the second time today!”

Old Rufus cut into our debate with a series of curt barks. Praesus and I turned to see the deceased Anton hovering with his open maw over his sister Asta’s shoulder.

“Anton get it together!” my voice rolled and echoed down the prison hall. The zombie Anton snapped to attention, immediately uninterested in the still living flesh that coated his sister’s arm.

Praesus took note of this, but said nothing. He was more focused on the unidentified prisoner. I didn’t venture any closer, but I gave the man a good once over to see if anything stood out. His garb, other than the well worn purple robe and cracked crown, was normal.

“Is he royalty, maybe from another portal? Someone they would’ve saw as a rival?”

Praesus was being more cautious than I, “He’s a burden we do not need. We need to fend for ourselves.”

“You need to fend for yourself, I am fairly confident with their captain under my command, and his sister captive, I can all but walk right through anything else they throw at me. Can you say the same?”

“Your newfound confidence astounds.” Praesus’ voice was grim, but my point stifled him, at least in the moment.

“I am not proposing taking him with us, just letting him go to give him a fighting chance.”

“He could be a cannibal,” Praesus was grasping at straws.

I stepped out of the cell briefly, gripping the torch from the wall that had concealed the man. “Great the arsonist, extortionist and kidnapper has views on the irreparable corruptibility of another.” Quickly, I hopped back into the cell and shone the torchlight over the man’s beaten face.

The torchlight was illuminating, in more ways than one. I was able to look past the man’s battered countenance; numerous welts and the long-dried blood spatters were caked all over his face.

Praesus continued in vain, “...a thief, some other kind of deviant. I am simply saying, you do not know this man, nor what he is capable of.”

“Yes, I do,” my arm went slack, the torch fell to the ground. I turned to Praesus and spoke weakly, “I do know this man, because this man is my father.”