Even in this ugly era of political divisiveness, some things remain bigger than partisan politics.
For example, travel deep into Southwest Texas to the Mexican border, and you’ll witness two powerful forces of political harmony in Big Bend National Park. First is the true majesty of nature — 1,200 square miles of high desert beauty, spectacular canyons, the Chisos Mountains’ “sky islands,” black bears and jaguars, ancient artifacts of Native peoples, and more.
But you could also experience the marvelous rebellious spirit of today’s Big Bend people who are battling the White House’s ideological extremists.
At issue is “The Wall,” the xenophobic piece of nastiness pushed by Stephen Miller, the Trump administration’s tyrannical, anti-immigrant chief. Build a multi-billion-dollar, 30-foot-high steel wall atop the Rio Grande’s fragile, thousand-foot high cliffs, Miller maniacally commanded.
Such a monstrous wall would destroy the cliffs and devastate the economic, cultural, and otherwise essential cross-border relationships that Big Bend communities rely on. And it would do nothing to stop desperate refugees.
So, in a grassroots, non-partisan rebellion, a coalition of ranchers, environmentalists, local sheriffs, Native Americans, and regular folks have momentarily stalled the scheme.
“Those advocating for this insane project,” one Republican rancher told the Houston Chronicle, should “acknowledge their nonsensical, aesthetically, and environmentally quixotic conduct, so their names may be indelibly placed on that border wall and remembered forever in infamy.”
Trump is expected to push ahead, but the feisty grassroots champions are not intimidated. “We will be civil,” says one leader, “but we don’t have to be polite.” Keep up with their work at NoBigBendWall.org.
