When humans can’t fix a problem, they build a wall. The Great Wall of China kept out the Mongols and the Berlin Wall artificially segmented society based on the political ideology of the occupying forces.

The Israeli separation barrier claims to keep Palestinian terrorists at bay, and the U.S.-Mexico border purportedly defends against invasion. People love their walls. So much, in fact, that despite historical evidence of their inefficacy, they keep building them.

The Great Wall is an epic beauty, and the Berlin Wall, well, nobody still thinks that was a good idea. But the latter two are different. The Israeli separation barrier segregates Israel from the West Bank Palestinians to prevent “terrorism.” What a great job that’s been doing.

What it actually does is discount any chance for comprehensive resolution, and in a surprising twist, it has also increased international sympathy for Palestinians, who are apparently so evil they were recently warned to stay at least 300 feet away from the wall unless in possession of a death wish.

This is nonsense: Israel refuses to recognize its Apartheid Wall for what it is, even when Pope Benny or the UN denounces it. Like a little brother who’s mad the older one took his Game Boy, Israel slapped tape across the bedroom floor and just won’t stop. It’s time somebody grounded him.

Same goes for the U.S.-Mexico border. We invited Mexicans to this country with the Bracero Program when it served our interests, exploited their labor until it consumed our own and then told them to leave. The United States can’t be a big tease and think the blue-balled won’t try for some lovin’ anyway. No border will prevent foreigners from dreaming the American dream. Why should it? This aspiration is what brought most “Americans” to this country in the first place.

Both conflicts are more difficult than 500 words can express. But the walls don’t resolve the systemic problems they seek to erase. Even if Mexicans went Viet Cong and charged our parking lots to pillage Wal-Mart’s benefit packages, the wall wouldn’t stop them from finding a way. And even if all Palestinians did nothing except chuck bombs at Israeli children in the name of a Jew-hating Allah, they’d find an outlet to do so.

Cement and barbed wire won’t do the trick. Neither will fear-mongering and propagation of prejudice. Or the conscious neglect of deep-seated historical contentions. Tearing down the walls of misunderstanding and fear? I think it’s called diplomacy? That could work. Oh, and education.

So don’t blame terrorism, please: In some places the wall actually incorporates parts of Palestinian towns on the Israeli side. And don’t blame Mexicans: The economy was crap with or without their “illegal infiltration” of the labor force. Improve naturalization laws, confront the intra-border reality head on, and make a two-state solution as tangible as it is practical.

Ignoring the problems with these walls is dangerous. Think of the recent Prop 8 decision and the glass ceiling on female work compensation. Walls lubricate the slippery slope of willful ignorance that already plays out enough in this world. Continue to pretend our problems don’t exist by putting up a wall, and there’s no knowing what issue will suffer from the “solution” next.

Medill senior Daniela Bloch can be reached at [email protected].