The U.S. Border Patrol closed Friendship Park on the US-Mexico border to make way for a triple wall. (AP/Guillermo Arias)

Restore Public Access to Friendship Park

Target:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano

Sponsored by:

California State Attorney General Edmund G. Brown, Jr., together with local, state and federal elected officials, has joined some 70 community-based organizations and over 130 community leaders in a joint letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, calling for the restoration of routine public access to Friendship Park, the historic location overlooking the Pacific Ocean where for generations people have gathered with friends and family at the U.S.-Mexico border fence.
Please join us and sign this letter to Secretary Napolitano.

Dear Secretary Napolitano:

We are writing to request that you act immediately to restore routine public access to Friendship Park, the historic venue overlooking the Pacific Ocean where for generations people have met to visit with friends and family at the U.S.-Mexico border fence.

We recognize that both nations face legitimate security concerns at the border, and we understand that U.S. Border Patrol agents cannot tolerate the smuggling of contraband and attempts at illegal entry to the United States at Friendship Park.

At the same time, Friendship Park is a unique venue of great historical significance to both Mexico and the United States, and has served as the centerpiece of California%u2019s Border Field State Park since its inauguration by then-First Lady Pat Nixon in 1971. Our government should continue to embrace its regular public use to promote the kind of friendship on which the true security of both nations depends.

We are confident that your Department, by working in a spirit of genuine collaboration with community stakeholders from San Diego and Tijuana, can create a plan that will allow for Friendship Park to remain a safe location where the friendship between the peoples of the two nations is celebrated.

Specifically, we believe that security, safety and friendship can be ensured at Friendship Park through the following measures:

1) A careful allocation of staff which acknowledges that Friendship Park is a unique location warranting special accommodations;

2) Training in public relations, crowd control, Spanish language, cultural competency and constitutional rights for all staff who will be assigned to work the park;

3) Supervised access to the historic monument and the beach below during all daylight hours;

4) An appropriate ceremony at the earliest possible date to celebrate the park%u2019s re-dedication to the cause of international friendship.

We have been encouraged in recent weeks as President Obama and countless administration officials have spoken enthusiastically about a new era of collaboration between the United States and Mexico. We request that you act with great urgency to see that routine public access to Friendship Park is restored as soon as possible, and that the park is returned to its rightful place as a revered symbol of the unique friendship between the two nations.

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We signed the "Restore Public Access to Friendship Park" petition!

# 65:

2:13 pm PST, Nov 19, Stanley Szumowicz, Kentucky
I understand our need for increased security in the United State's but I am sure we can find another way to keep Freedom park open to familie's who wish to visit with loved one's who are not able to access the United State's legaly, for what ever their reson might be,

# 64:

4:33 pm PST, Nov 9, Paulina Mendoza, California

# 63:

8:58 am PST, Nov 6, Barbara Quinn, California

# 62:

6:14 pm PST, Nov 1, Melodye Lehnerer, Nevada
I visited this park in April 2009. The devastation to the area around where the wall has been built was shocking.

# 61:

6:58 pm PDT, Oct 22, Marco Andrade, Texas
"Above all Nations, Humanity"

# 60:

10:49 am PDT, Sep 10, Kristin Moran, California

# 59:

2:06 pm PDT, Aug 31, Erin Bishop, California
I work at the University of San Diego in Campus Ministry where part of my job includes taking groups of students across the border to see the reality of Tijuana and the reality of border relations. The most moving part of each trip is when we stop at Friendship Park. Something about the way the fence juts out into the ocean always strikes these young people as so terribly wrong. Restore the park, restore human dignity, restore friendship.

# 58:

9:22 pm PDT, Aug 1, Jagjeet Khalsa, California

# 57:

4:15 pm PDT, Jul 25, Charlene Atkins, California

# 56:

1:46 pm PDT, Jul 23, Name not displayed, California
Friendship Park needs to be restored to public access, friends and family need this park to get together, fences are not the way to nourish friendships and relationships.

# 55:

4:13 pm PDT, Jul 22, Paul Espinosa, Arizona

# 54:

1:18 pm PDT, Jul 22, Eunice Munro, California

# 53:

12:30 pm PDT, Jul 22, Karla Chavez, California

# 52:

9:18 am PDT, Jul 22, Yessica Flores, California

# 51:

5:20 pm PDT, Jul 17, Maricela Guzman, California

# 50:

3:47 pm PDT, Jul 15, Jen Buck, Pennsylvania

# 49:

2:34 pm PDT, Jul 15, Mark Heisey, Pennsylvania
Stop scapegoating immigrants in creating a narrative of fear and insecurity around the border. Let families, loved ones, and those who are for friendship and dialogue rather than mistrust and militarism use this park.

# 48:

9:22 pm PDT, Jul 13, Jolene Beiser, California

# 47:

8:48 pm PDT, Jul 13, Barbara Huntington, California
For more impact, add a personal comment here

# 46:

7:30 pm PDT, Jul 12, Linda Fraysure, California

# 45:

1:59 pm PDT, Jul 12, Marcy Krinsk, California
Walls are wrong.....suspension of the Rule of Law along our Southern Border is wrong.....responsible border security should be managed at the ports of entry, not at a State or Federal Park. There is no history of drug trafficking at this park, only 50 pounds of marijuana has been seized here in the last two years.........less than at Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego.

# 44:

9:28 am PDT, Jul 12, Valeria Soboleva, Russian Federation

# 43:

8:47 am PDT, Jul 12, Mark Woods, California

# 42:

9:09 am PDT, Jul 11, Peter Holslin, New York

# 41:

6:44 am PDT, Jul 11, Victor Walsh, California
Construction of the triple fence at Border Field is a lasting testimonial to the politics of fear that has gripped our nation’s consciousness since the 9-11 tragedy. It was completed without compliance with any federal or state laws and regulations. It is a misuse of taxpayers' money because it does not or can not effectively address the problems of erosion control, sedimentary run-off, and backwater flooding. It endangers the Tijuana Estuary, one of the few salt mashes remaining in Southern California, and a host of other natural and cultural resources. And, perhaps most importantly, it can not bolster this nation's security without real reform in our immigration policies and without genuine cooperation with the Mexican government over a host of issues, including the importation of U.S.-made military weapons into Mexico and the power of Mexican drug cartels.

# 40:

9:28 am PDT, Jul 10, Pablo Roncoroni, California
Dialogue is the key to security, NOT more fences. Please consider that we will know less about who is crossing in to our country if we force them do so illegally. Remember the effect prohibition had on our nation, and the current war on drugs, which we are so unequivocally losing.

# 39:

9:41 pm PDT, Jul 9, Sara kokyo Wildi, Switzerland
it is such a wonderful place to practice unity, understanding, tolerance and peace

# 38:

3:19 pm PDT, Jul 9, Marian Aste, California
Friendship Park should be a place where people can dialogue across the border.

# 37:

2:47 pm PDT, Jul 9, Cheryl Clark, California
For more impact, add a personal comment here

# 36:

12:31 pm PDT, Jul 9, Maria Teresa Fernandez, California

# 35:

12:22 pm PDT, Jul 9, Elaine Robinson, United Kingdom

# 34:

8:39 am PDT, Jul 9, Willem Otte, California

# 33:

8:30 am PDT, Jul 9, Anu Lawrence, California

# 32:

8:24 am PDT, Jul 9, Kristen Kuriga, California
Frienship Park is a valuable part of our community--please don't further divide us.

# 31:

8:11 am PDT, Jul 9, Navelle Gossman, Texas

# 30:

6:54 am PDT, Jul 9, Ira Gayll Zamudio, Philippines

# 29:

6:20 am PDT, Jul 9, Mica Togami, California
We need places in our world that promote "friendship" to fully begin to understand how we as human beings are interdependent with one another. This park serves as that place--a place of new encounters and re-encounters.

# 28:

# 27:

6:07 am PDT, Jul 9, David N Moore, Connecticut
Restore this park NOW

# 26:

4:45 am PDT, Jul 9, Brian Fisher, Florida

# 25:

4:37 am PDT, Jul 9, Adam Thrush, Michigan

# 24:

3:09 am PDT, Jul 9, Steve Klein, Virginia
For more impact, add a personal comment here

# 23:

12:31 am PDT, Jul 9, Herb Deer, California
friendship and connection is much more powerful than separation, please keep the walls open for friends from both countries to communicate in person, face to face

# 22:

12:15 am PDT, Jul 9, Pam Boland, Georgia

# 21:

10:09 pm PDT, Jul 8, Frank Beiser, California

# 20:

9:37 pm PDT, Jul 8, Richard Cummings, II, California
Don't close Friendship. It's become more and more important than relations between Mexico and the US transform into anything other than confrontational. As a life-long local of Southeast San Diego, I've seen the negative attitudes and judgemental prejudices in my neighborhoods, schools, work places and even family. Maintaining an open Friendship Park is metaphorically valuable. Closing Friendship park will send out a negative message which will take years to reverse and repair.

# 19:

7:30 pm PDT, Jul 8, Vicki Cabassi, California

# 18:

6:56 pm PDT, Jul 8, Mark Day, California
Secretary Napolitano, please give access to all of us at Friendship Park. You action would go a long way to heal old wounds and restore respect from our sister Republic of Mexico.

# 17:

6:06 pm PDT, Jul 8, Peter Kuhn, California

# 16:

5:28 pm PDT, Jul 8, Nicole Ramos, California

# 15:

2:56 pm PDT, Jul 8, Paloma Patterson, California
The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border? ~ Pablo Casals

# 14:

2:37 pm PDT, Jul 8, Michelle Guti�rrez, California

# 13:

2:32 pm PDT, Jul 8, Robert Scott Madison, California

# 12:

2:20 pm PDT, Jul 8, Fernanda R., California

# 11:

2:16 pm PDT, Jul 8, Kathy Wagner, Canada
For decades, Friendship Park has given voice to the powerful message that two cultures/nations can share space in peace, harmony, and courage. The Park must be fully accessible to the public in order to continue to teach this lesson...

# 10:

2:07 pm PDT, Jul 8, Taylor McGowan, Georgia

# 9:

2:01 pm PDT, Jul 8, Karina Muniz, California

# 8:

1:59 pm PDT, Jul 8, April Game, California
We need to remember that the people who visit Friendship Park do so because they are human beings - courageous, determined human beings and there is no harm done by honoring this - and so much harm done by hindering access to their loved ones. The issue of contraband is ridiculous... the tiny amounts that can be slipped through a fence are inconsequential to the value and importance of allowing people to visit their friends and family.

# 7:

1:46 pm PDT, Jul 8, Ricrdo Arana, Mexico
This can be easily considered a binational site and has ALWAYS brought understanding and sharing to both the American and Mexican peoples. It is outrageous to close it to the public.

# 6:

1:09 pm PDT, Jul 8, Amelia Irish, Florida

# 5:

12:27 pm PDT, Jul 8, Pedro Rios, California

# 4:

12:25 pm PDT, Jul 8, Kristin Gorenflo, California

# 3:

11:32 am PDT, Jul 8, William Hackett, California

# 2:

11:21 am PDT, Jul 8, Levi Smith, California

# 1:

11:08 am PDT, Jul 8, Anne Saunders, California

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