"Borders Are…" by Serj Tankian

Borders Surround
Borders Bound
Borders Marginalize
Borders Frame
Borders Divide
Borders Kill

Borders are the ultimate man-made walls separating and differentiating us beyond our cultures, beyond our beliefs, beyond economic hierarchies.

Borders are subjective, unnatural lines drawn by humans delineating land, water, and air for partisan collective utilization.

If borders were natural, other animals, in fact, all beings would be bound by them. Obviously, they aren't.

Indigenous cultures never recognized borders, cognizant of the fact that the land owns us and not the other way around.

Borders lead to war, occupation, and bigotry, even genocide. Worst of all, borders are a deceptive, yet constant reinforcement of the notion that we are alone, separate from each other and all things around us.

The multi-layered borders of our lives stratify separation in its undignified definition.

There are people dying in Kashmir due to border disputes. Shots are fired daily between North and South Korea over border disputes. The Berlin Wall separated the German people for almost half a century, at the border. Israel and Palestine continue to endure conflict over their borders, and the predecessors of modern-day Turkey (Ottoman Empire) felt they had to carry out genocide to protect their borders.

Borders represent the foundation of civilization, expansionism, abusive capitalism, and presumptive occupation.

Floods don't recognize borders.
Earthquakes don't recognize borders.
Diseases, famine, and drought don't recognize borders.

Why should we?

We deserve to live without the borders of mind, body, and spirit.
Given the unprecedented changes we are witnessing in the world.

We really have no choice.