We are on this side. They are on that side. Walls help us know who gets what and who goes without. Walls help us keep order. Walls help us keep peace.
Good fences make good neighbors.
Unless, of course, you're on the wrong side of the fence. In his book, Living Faith , former President Jimmy Carter talks about the barriers that divide people and give them a false sense of identity. Having grown up in the South during the time of racial segregation, he had many African-American friends. When his parents were away, he would stay with his black neighbors, Jack and Rachel Clark. He played with black friends, went fishing with them, plowed with mules side by side, and played on the same baseball team.