LETTER: Border crossing is not the moral equivalent of apartheid
Published 2:00 pm Friday, March 20, 2026
Editor,
Re: Border decisions are societal and political, not just personal
A recent letter draws a direct moral comparison between crossing the U.S. border for personal reasons and breaking the boycott during the South African apartheid period. The comparison does not hold.
The anti-apartheid boycott was a coordinated global response to a uniquely grave and legally enforced system of racial oppression. Treating an individual’s decision to cross the border as morally equivalent dilutes the historical weight of that moment and overstates the present case.
People are free to choose where they travel and spend their money, including choosing to avoid the United States for personal or political reasons. But it does not follow that those who make a different choice are acting immorally.
We should be careful not to inflate our disagreements into false moral equivalences.
Respectfully,
Martin H. Fisher, White Rock