I have seen the wall between Israel and Palestine. That wall is needed.

Yes, there are places on our border with Mexico that need a wall for security — no argument about that — but to spend billions on unneeded and unwanted sections of a wall is irresponsible. A wall is not required in most areas of the border and non-partisan experts agree.

I have been out of the Army a long time, but even in the 1970s and 1980s we had great ground surveillance radar technology to track the enemy. Today, our surveillance technology is amazing. Technology and boots on the ground are some of the answers. Unnecessary walls are an archaic approach to a modern day issue and an irresponsible use of taxpayer money. There are problems that need to be handled on our southern border — the issue of increased numbers of children trying to cross and, obviously, drugs. These are issues that a leader should face and work through.

Our southern border is not in a “new” crisis. Statistics show border crossings have been dropping for years.
President Donald Trump wants to convince Americans that there’s a national emergency at the southern border for other reasons.

Most Americans are against Trump’s wall scheme. Many feel that the real national emergency is the crisis in the Oval Office. He is trying to divert attention from the catastrophe that is his administration. — Trump and Congress had an agreement in December and then the president went back on his word.

Trump does not care for the suffering farmer, our military without pay or my friends who had Christmas ruined by the shutdown.

People are suffering. Most of our presidents had some, if not a lot, of empathy. As a narcissist, Trump cannot feel empathy. Our republic is in danger.

— David Brown

Salisbury