Walking the border

Meet Jay Johnson-Castro.

And with little fanfare or planning, Johnson-Castro began a quixotic trek from Laredo to Brownsville. During the next 15 days or so, he's hoping to rally border residents and topple Washington's plans to erect a controversial security fence along 700 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.

"This is my personal expression against an idea that is as ugly as a wall," said Johnston-Castro, as he walked south on Chihuahua Street toward Laredo's city limits. "Think of how we rejoiced when the Berlin Wall came down. It separated families.

"And we're going to do the same thing? We can't allow it."

Hey, the Berlin Wall involved Communists, so it's totally different. I suppose you could argue that its purpose was to keep people in, not keep them out. Like that really matters, I guess.

Though Johnson-Castro said he had the support of many border politicians, none showed up to support him as he started out.

But that doesn't mean they want the fence.

"The fence ain't gonna work. It's a silly, silly idea," said Laredo Mayor Raul G. Salinas, a veteran FBI agent. "At the time we're knocking down walls all around the world, and we're building new ones? Why don't we just close the (international) bridges?"

Don't give them any ideas, Mr. Mayor.

The walk along the border is being filmed by Jesse Salmeron, a 28-year-old Houstonian who directed a documentary called Undocumented, an account of the pro-immigration protests that took place earlier this year.

Salmeron said he came illegally to Houston from El Salvador as a child.

"There is kind of a lull in the immigration movement right now, so when I read the story in the Houston Chronicle, I packed my bags and came down here," the filmmaker said.

Stace noted this earlier. He has contact info for Salmeron if you want to assist with his effort.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on October 12, 2006 to National news | TrackBack