To the Editor:

Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, does a disservice to all Americans, but particularly to legal immigrants, by fanning the flames of xenophobia with unsubstantiated claims of terrorists crossing our southern border. He cites one case. I’m not buying it. I’m much more concerned about our own home-grown terrorists (think Charlottesville).

He proposes spending the massive amount of $15 billion to build an unnecessary wall, plus infrastructure, along the border while much-needed repairs to failing infrastructure nationwide go without funding. I strongly object to directing money toward this project when it could be used elsewhere in ways that would truly benefit our country (water supplies and safety, highways and bridges, healthcare facilities, education, etc.).

Is this an effort to placate supporters or could it possibly be an effort to redirect attention from healthcare? His last effort to do that was holding his only town hall meeting in a small town at the far edge of his district, but the auditorium was packed anyway. That didn’t work; I don’t think this effort will work either. The demand for affordable health care is not going to go away, but I hope the misdirected efforts toward building a wall disappear as more and more people understand the true costs and the consequences.

Joanne Strop

Waynesville