Mr. Trump spoke of a steel barrier. I hear in this an ironic echo of Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech. “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent.” This symbol of the Cold War was needed to keep people in and ideas out. Trump’s wall is intended to keep people out. It will not. Nor will it keep ideas in. The vast majority of the people at our southern border are not drawn by visions of illicit profit, nor by desire to rape and rob, but by the Idea of America — Hope. Any physical wall will be ineffective unless we destroy the idea of our country. This is the real danger of Trump’s steel barrier. 

Mr. Churchill spoke to the world. Mr. Trump speaks to his base. That the world is also listening presents a terrible message to the world. We do need border security and more than that, sensible and humane immigration reform. No wall or means of security will be really effective without that reform. 

Winston Churchill and Harry Truman must be rolling in their graves while “Uncle Joe” Stalin must be shaking his with his laughter. 

Edward McCusker

Lyme