This class and all its text has been incredibly insightful. One thing I've been thinking about as I was finishing up my final paper is the border crossing that exists within in the Parable of the Sower. California and Californians are labeled as trash, and seem to be looked down upon much of the rest of the US and world. They seems to take on the status of the illegal. They are used and abused for cheap labor. Work is out-sourced to California, like we out-source work to third-world countries currently. The borders and border crossing are incredibly dangerous, even deadly for Californians. Butler seems to be criticizing Californians of the 80's and 90's attitudes towards illegals and Mexicans by showing them how easy it would for things to change. How easy the lack of wealth dehumanizes you in our society.
Butler's imagery and description of the violence and the need for people to escape the violence truly mirrors what was going on in Central America and Mexico during the 80's and 90's. It is something we as Americans take for granted, and that can easily changed for us if the circumstances were right. Even today, 20 years later, the attitude and treatment of Mexicans and illegals really hasn't changed that much. Maybe we should take note of Butler's point and finally change our attitudes. We should not punish others for our own luck at being born in this country.
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