Thank you City Paper of Pittsburgh for this nugget about Mister Rogers, a border wall, and friendly neighbors.

“This was how Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood presented numerous topics, many of them rather controversial for children’s television. Race, war, death and divorce were all discussed, but Rogers’ calm, straightforward manner made the topics real and approachable.

Connected over a week’s worth of episodes, one plot line addresses change, violence and border issues. Fearful of change, King Friday XIII (the puppet ruler of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe) orders a border wall to be built to keep the neighborhood safe. Lady Aberlin takes balloons, tied with messages of peace and love to them, and floats them across the wall, convincing the king to tear down the wall. Those episodes were the first five shows.“