{"id":37270,"date":"2019-08-04T16:49:55","date_gmt":"2019-08-04T23:49:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=37270"},"modified":"2019-08-04T16:49:55","modified_gmt":"2019-08-04T23:49:55","slug":"sunday-smile-the-teeter-totter-wall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2019\/08\/04\/sunday-smile-the-teeter-totter-wall\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Smile: The Teeter Totter Wall"},"content":{"rendered":"

To be honest, after yesterday’s horrific mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton, I really didn’t feel like posting what I had put together because it wasn’t appropriate. But it will keep.<\/p>\n

But I did feel I just put up something, so it was back to my notes on ideas that I keep for “Friday Fun”<\/em> possibilities to see what I could find.<\/p>\n

Maybe kids can point the way to showing us grown-ups how to get along, because lord knows we’re doing a piss-poor job of it. So I thought a fitting tribute to honor the people of El Paso is to celebrate a recent event watching kids and their parents playing together on hot pink Teeter Totters.<\/p>\n

But this playground was like no other, because these custom-built sees-saws are between the border wall slats separating Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez, Mexico and El Paso. So the Border Wall becomes the literal fulcrum joining people from Mexico and the USA.<\/p>\n

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Digging into this project I was surprised to learn that the concept actually began a decade ago when two professors (Ronald Rael<\/strong>, a professor of architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, and Virginia San Fratello<\/strong>, an associate professor of design at San Jos\u00e9 State University) came up with the idea.<\/p>\n

Rael published a book called “Borderwall As Architecture”<\/em>. In fact his concept drawings are part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York.<\/p>\n

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Rael said<\/a> the event was about bringing \u201cjoy, excitement and togetherness at the border wall\u201d. Adding it was also about finding \u201cmeaningful ways on both sides with the recognition that the actions that take place on one side have a direct consequence on the other side\u201d.<\/p>\n

Prof. San Fratello said<\/a> that it is \u201calso a place where people come together. We wanted to create scenarios that would celebrate togetherness. And also highlight the ridiculousness of the border wall.” She explained that the see-saws are made of light-weight steel and designed to be easily installed. \u201cWe could literally set [them] up in one minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

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But unfortunately, they did not have permission. Surprisingly when the US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) arrived, they permitted the sharing of joy across the border, using the Wall as a literal fulcrum, to continue unimpeded for quite a while. Maybe laughter is<\/strong><\/span><\/em> truly infectious. We can hope!<\/p>\n

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But as is frequently the case, all good things must come to an end. Let’s close on an upbeat note enjoying the Instagrams Rael posted of the event – and hope it can be reprised on a much larger scale..<\/p>\n

[Editor’s Note: Sorry, I don’t know how to resize Instagrams]<\/em><\/p>\n

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The joy that was shared this day on both sides is something that will stay with me forever. #borderwallasarchitecture #raelsanfratello #teetertotterwall #seesaw #reunitefamilies @colectivo.chopeke #subibaja<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by Ronald Rael<\/a> (@rrael) on