Documentary Alert : Bleeding Borders

From what little I have seen of this upcoming documentary, I am truly impressed by the honest research involved that changed the outlook of this work. Steve–the producer–and crew had initially traveled to the U.S. border to embarrass the government into doing their job of protecting the border, only to realize that there are indeed too many fences. Steve concludes that:

The walls we have, don’t really work, and are only a “Speed Bump.” New walls will not work. (Except as a multi-billion dollar speed bump) All the walls in Tijuana have done is drive up the death rate of undocumented workers…While the border is not completely secure right now, it is much more secure than back in 1995 when thousands of people streamed across nightly. You cannot completely secure a 2,000 mile long border, it would take an Army of at least 200,000 soldiers, and we are not at war with Mexico, they are our second largest trading partner…One thing stands clear after all of our interviews. It is STUPID to build a wall on any River Section of the Border. The river itself is a natural barrier. It is easier to put a ladder over a wall, than make it across the river without drowning. Undocumented workers from all over the world drown in the river all the time.

I contacted Steve to find out more information about the upcoming movie. He has replied stating that it will be out within 2-3 months. I was curious as to what exactly had changed his mind about immigration issues. He replied:

I started with listening to the right-wing AM radio xenophobic rants,(before my change heart) but after seeing and living on the border, I saw the light.

Maybe we should start funding for some ALIPACers to camp out in the borderlands, visit underdeveloped countries to see the effects of neo-liberalism, war, global warming … Maybe, we may get something different from “what part of illegal don’t you understand?” Nah?

I had noted in an earlier post about sympathizing with the becoming, not the being. Steve and Bleeding Borders is one example of that ‘becoming’ that requires our full support. Even if it doesn’t change policies, it has changed the perceptions of the narrator. Never underestimate the power of minor acts and inconspicuous actions — They can be the start of something new and powerful and if not, we must acknowledge them for the simple fact that nothing should be lost to history.

Keep a lookout for this movie! Their webpage is here