By The Beacon Editorial Staff

Good fences make good neighbors, as Robert Frost so wisely said. Building walls, a logical extension of that principle, is a positive duty of friendship among nations. The ancient Chinese knew this; so did Hadrian. We owe Mexico a nice, solid wall, 18 to 30 feet high, precisely as the President has proposed. (Canada should get one, too, for that matter, for we must not be inequitable in our wall-making.)

But how exactly, is our wall going to look? Will it truly represent the American spirit? At the time of writing, eight prototypes have been built by rival contractors in San Diego. It seems each has something to recommend it. According to a report by The Los Angeles Times, one has sharp flanges on top, another a pleasing brickwork inlay. Yet another is a tasteful shade of blue, with white trim.

But why should we limit ourselves to these designs? Look at them. They’re all so traditional, so lacking in innovation, so constrained by society’s rigid definition of wall-hood. The President was on the right track when he proposed a solar-panel-covered wall that would “pay for itself.” But why stop there? Why not incorporate windmills, and hydroponic hanging gardens, and a zipline or two? Heck, why not make the thing one great roller-coaster? Remember that money is not at issue here; the grateful Mexicans will of course rush to foot the bill once they see our work of art.

We should democratize the design of our wall, opening it up to the best minds in America. Dear readers, The Beacon would like to issue you a challenge: Submit to us your best, your wildest, your impregnable-est wall design, and you’ll have a chance to win a beautiful bespoke Build-Your-Own Wall Starter Kit.* Your submission may take the form of a drawing, a written description, a photograph of a model, or really anything else that will fit in these pages. Please send it to mbeacon@smccme.edu by Nov. 21. Good luck, citizens!

*Awarded at our discretion. May contain actual bricks.