FORUMS & LETTERS

Letters

Editor,



With respect to the controversial theme of the Sexual Diversity Festival, August 6–9, the letter written by Jack Driscoll, and the answers and comments that followed, I would like to express the following:

I am a sanmiguelense, a Mexican, a married man, father of a family, and even though I may not represent all Mexicans, I know that I represent many of them. 

There are universal and natural principles that one cannot violate or be ignorant of what history has taught us time and time again. The consequences of breaking these principles have not only affected individuals, but also entire nations. Perhaps it is not clear where life has taken us, down to “my own law,” “my own principles,” “my own ideas” or “my own interests.” Is it tolerance of that “which is good that one says is bad, and which is bad that one says is good?” That’s enough seeing this news each day. 

The consequences of society’s deterioration can be seen in the problems of nature, such as climate change, hurricanes and floods. I am worried about this trend toward social deterioration. Is it good to go against nature?

I don’t deny the liberty that individuals have, but within this liberty there is responsibility to take the consequences of our decisions, whether they are good or bad, and respect for my neighbor, understanding that my liberty ends with the beginning of the liberty of another. I cannot inhibit it, nor can I take offense, or judge it. I believe that we have lost our moral compass and those who have the courage to speak out to try to contain this degenerative process are immediately quieted and censured. What is your goal when you shut up others?

Sincerely, are we so egotistical that in one sense are we giving our children a demented and decadent society? And to be a father, and certainly a grandfather, uncle, or a citizen, is it not our goal to aspire to a better life? 

Realistically, is it natural that a man pretends to be a women or a woman a man? Is it natural to have sexual attraction between the same sexes? I don’t believe so, nor do I believe in an exaggerated machismo father or in an overbearing mother. I don’t believe in families treating each other poorly or in violence among family members. 

Is it bad to have limits? Is it bad to worry about the integrity of our generation and the coming generations? I don’t believe so. Without this concern, we could destroy our social structure and as a Mexican, I don’t want this to happen.

Is it not time to return to those built-upon principles that we left aside from two thousand years ago which guaranteed living together successfully?


Tomás Martínez



Dear Editor,

Since ancient Greek societies, the Western world has been negotiating the balance between freedom and order. That balance is never stable. It changes from society to society, from age to age and is often influenced by economics.

The economy of San Miguel mostly depends on tourism, land sales and construction. If people are not safe walking the streets and in the parks, and their personal property is not safe when they leave home, tourism and property sales will tumble.

With that in mind, San Miguel has hired a no-nonsense chief of police (Atención, Sept. 5–Security: a national and local concern). The article, however, cites abuses of constitutional freedoms of young men in the pursuit of order.

A suggestion has been made that having beat officers assigned to particular neighborhoods gives them an opportunity to know the residents, to have an idea of who are the possible troublemakers and who are innocently congregating with neighbors to talk, show off, talk of girls, brag, the future—whatever young men talk about with other young men. They need this as young children need play.


Respect for law will never happen if people are treated with humiliation and physical abuse by those responsible for upholding the law. And respect for law, or lack of it, is one of the most serious problems in Mexico due to a history of obvious reasons—a poor balance of freedom and order.

Many young men are out of work today. Many have returned from the States as their jobs dried up due to the economy there. Others are not attempting the trip North as they may not find work, or they may well be caught and, for first-time offenders, may well face four months in prison. Therefore there are many idle young men in San Miguel—young men who want a piece of land and to build a house so they can begin to form their own family—who need a job. Idle young men with broken or postponed dreams, tourists and residents with money often lead to unfortunate consequences.

Freedom and order—the balance is often delicate and difficult to find.

Jim Moore 
 







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