In a perfect world, our wall would end racism and cure intolerance. Obviously, that is a ridiculous goal, and that has never been our intention.
As an organizer, I will freely admit that some bigots cannot be changed. Those of us on the staff have never denied this. However, just because some people are resistant to what we try to do doesn't mean our project is futile.
This year, we had people write out on slips what their brick meant and why it hurt them.
These explanations did not get at the historical origins of the words, but described the personal experiences attached to them. We had these at the wall for anybody to read.
Our goal is to start a dialogue and to talk about these issues. I encourage everyone to see the speakers that come to discuss their experiences with injustice and stereotypes.
Or you could have seen our closing ceremony with two of those speakers.
To read a brick is to read someone's story. You may not identify with it, but you can't argue with it.
The wall creates a huge mess, but what are dust, cinder blocks and debris compared to the pain we cause each other? They are nothing. Let me know when ignorance is gone, and we will gladly stop building this wall.
