Donald Trump’s wall would be a boondoggle

Contrary to the assertions in Ron Hirschkind’s Nov. 23 letter, building a southern border wall would be a politically motivated boondoggle. Polls indicate about 60 percent of Americans do not want a wall. During the 2016 election, more people voted for Hillary Clinton than for Mr. Trump, so not building a wall would not subvert the will of the people.

The billions in wall money could be better spent helping disaster victims who are still reeling from recent hurricanes and fires. Or it could be directed toward helping the poor across the country with their health care costs.

We can never ensure people fleeing hardship and crime cannot enter the country or stop those who want to import drugs for profit. It is a fool’s errand. In both cases, we must stop demand in our own country.