Letters

Editors’ note: this comment appeared on the SMA Civil List and is published with permission of the author.

Our very best defense against crime (ugliness in our community) are the police. I would like to suggest that we all make the police our heroes. The better they feel about themselves the better they are able to serve us. I had a discussion with my son about them being as crooked as the crooks, he said the only reason they protected me was because I was white! My response was that in reality they probably would prefer to beat-up a white guy as opposed to a Mexican guy, but because I am good, kind and honest and give them a lot of respect they want to protect me. I take care of them and they take care of me. It is much better to believe that they take care of the good citizens of our community rather than the bad citizens. There are all kinds of bells and whistles to keep them in check. We don't want to give them the impression that they are only looking out for the gringos because we might give them some sort of token. We want them to know that they are valuable and of course when the community thrives everyone thrives. The safer they make all of our homes the better life we all lead (all the community).

The Mexican people have had to live with a lot of corruption and they are actually afraid of both sides, the thugs will come after you and the police will not protect you. This is no longer true, let's get rid of the thugs. The posting stating that the maid said the boys were bad and you were not to mess with them, is so bad, this is how the bad guys take over a neighborhood. Call the police at a drop of a hat, root those bad guys out of your neighborhood. Make a report with the Ministerio Public. 

The kids need to be put into a public program where they learn compassion for animals, like the one set-up at the SPA. The kids are not born bad, they are neglected due to poor education, babies are made out of passion by anyone that has the physical capabilities. There is no requirement that the parents understand that they have a life-time job to raise these kids to be assets to society.

The walking stick idea might work for a while, but what happens when the bad guys start to carry the stick with a hidden knife in it?

Remember 152-0911 or 066, know how to say your address or what street you are on (in Spanish) and learn how to say it is an emergency!

Understand that they can dispatch a vehicle while you are still on the telephone giving them your name.

I am going to ask (I don't know who) if Mary Crates can put a lending library for children in the office of the Ministerio Public to help the kids pass the time when their parents are there handling legal matters. Maybe we could throw neighborhood parties, kind-a get to know your patrolmen party, not being naive, not letting your guard down, but sincerely welcoming the people who protect our community into your world. We have such a great community of both foreigners and locals and it is small enough that with a little effort we can really live in paradise enjoying peace and harmony in our everyday lives.

Susan Sargeant

Editor,

It was a pleasure to read the article, Vagabundo is going places! by Robin Loving Rowland in the January 9 issue of the Atencion. My husband and I have been on several Vagabundo bus trips and enjoyed each one. They have been enjoyable

because they were well organized and provided an excellent opportunity to visit interesting parts of Mexico at a reasonable cost. On arrival at each location the accommodation was ready and some short day trips included.

On each occasion we have appreciated David's leadership and his problem solving skills. He listens to all concerns and, they do exist as can be expected with more than 30 people travelling together over an extended period of time. He is always accessible. On the bus each passenger has an opportunity to express their views as he walks regularly down the aisle handing out his famous caramels and bottles of water.

We have met new and interesting people each time. Many are seasoned travellers ready for a new adventure.

David is to be admired for his thoughtful leadership, his knowledge of Mexico and his well directed energy. May his Vagabundo business be very successful and may his visit to Paris be not too far into the future.

Vivian Barker

Christmas Wishes Fund thanks San Miguel

Susan Sargeant of La Conexión and the other organizers of the Christmas Wishes Fund express their deep appreciation to all who gave donations despite the present economic crisis and to all the volunteer chaperones for making the December 2008 shopping spree a success.

This past Christmas through Three Kings Day, 101 children from our local children's homes, supervised by loving and caring adults, were able to shop for their own Christmas gifts. This time, 89 children from Casas Hogares Don Bosco, Santa Julia, and Mexiquito were joined by 12 children from Casa Ayuda, another child-care facility. Each child had 500 pesos to spend. Many of the young children and adolescents bought clothing, school supplies and personal items.

Even though there were sufficient funds, there were not the anticipated number of volunteer chaperones. Thus, we give special praise to the wonderful people who carried the ball by making several trips, thus assuring that all the kids shopped and were properly supervised. For example, an excellent Canadian couple, Denis and Patti Beaudry, kept returning when no one else was available to take many Mexiquito boys out. They and the other volunteers are our heroes, as are the very generous donors who made it all possible. Petra Méndez López Sargeant gets a special mention for her organizational work.

Looking forward to next year’s Christmas shopping spree, we say “Thank you, San Miguel” for caring about these special children who cannot live with family or who have no family. The people of this town are the greatest!

Leonardo Rosen

IREE students say “gracias!”

The fundraising event for the hearing impaired students of Instituto de Rehabilitacion y Ensenanza Especial (IREE) held at The Restaurant at Sollano 16 on December 15 raised US$6,000 from 98 guests intent on the school’s continued operation in 2009.

Many people were instrumental in making this event successful and I wish to thank all of them for their financial support, encouragement and love. Special thanks go to Deb Connor of DC Events and Sam and Emily Davies of Red Colt Films, all of whom donated their professional services free of charge. Special thanks also to The Restaurant at Sollano 16 for providing such a wonderful setting for the evening and for assisting with food costs, as well as providing their great staff, who donated their evening of service. We also wish to extend sincere thanks to all the individuals and businesses in town that donated products or services for the live auction that took place during the event, including: Planta Baja, Perfiles, Jay Kimball, VSA, VIP SMA, Namuh, Agua de Coco, Dave and Gogo Sayer, Lou Christine, Stephanie Glick and Sollano 16.

Words cannot express how touched the kids and I are for the outpouring of support from the San Miguel community for this event. We are truly blessed with your thoughtfulness and generosity and, on behalf of the IREE kids, I thank you. We still have a ways to go with our funding requirements to enable the school to survive but are hopeful that with the kindness and support being generated, and with God’s blessing, we will continue to provide this essential service for our children.

Cecilia Escobar, Director IREE

Editor,

I was pleased to read the fine article by Krishna Villena in the January 9 issue of Atención. It was a service to the public to enumerate all the traffic laws applicable to San Miguel, however; missing from the article was mention of the fact that that those laws are rarely ever enforced.

Every day hundreds of illegally parked cars can be found impeding the flow of traffic on the streets of San Miguel, and this is the root cause of all the traffic congestion. The biggest problem is drivers double-parking and parking too close to an intersection making it difficult or impossible for others to pass. One has only to stand anywhere on Ancha San Antonio and watch how when someone double-parks that traffic quickly slows to a crawl and backs up for blocks. Absent the illegally parked vehicles, all traffic would be able to move quickly and freely.

I have friends (perhaps now ex-friends after reading this) who joke about how many times they have lost their license plates and how easy it is to continue parking anywhere they want without them. After parking illegally a dozen or more times, they pay only one token fine then do it all over again without a thought given to how many people they have inconvenienced.

Other World Heritage sites have dealt with their traffic problems and I hope the day will come that the authorities in San Miguel will find the will to do so. A good place to start would be raising the fine for blocking traffic and/or illegal parking to 3000–5000 pesos, double that for repeat offenders and double again if the vehicle is towed. The traffic problems in San Miguel would disappear overnight when the scofflaws learn their inconsiderate behavior is going to hit them in the pocketbook.

Charles Baxter Miller

Editor, 

That Ms Lash displayed unabashed arrogant, self-importance and lack of both civil consciousness in the article "What About the Moto's?" in the December 26th issue of this great newspaper is appalling, it is not all that surprising when one considers it in the light of other widespread, thoughtless, anti-social behavior.such as: 1) by those who who illegally allow their dogs to run loos in the restaurants and other public places – and yes, it is illegal!..2) those who flagrantly smoke in public places, also completely illegal now; 3) those who obliviously clutter up our narrow sidewalks talking in groups of three, four or more, forcing us less gregarious, solitary pedrestians into the gutter in order to pass by; 4)and finally by those who love to interrupt private conversations between two people in the Jardín or elsewhere without so much as an “Excuse me!”

But back to your maddening moto mishap, it becomes somewhat understandable, though undeserving of any sympathy, when one considers how you completely gdot all your non-supportive arguments wrong, in that: 1) Safety: hd you read Reporter Ibarra's recent excellent article in this journal about the ever increasing serious traffic accidents, injuries, undoubtedly, if not already, fatalities, arising out of your recklessly operated moto's, you would have recognized that they have unquestionably become a very serious meance to the life and safety of any of us anywhere near them; 2) and although your 25 peso, cost of operation may be a great economic windfall for you, you might want to consider the enormous social, psychological, physical, health care costs attributable to the ubiquitous present of ever growing numbers of these unsafe, ugly, unlicensed, unregulated, unpoliced and utterly unacceptable conveyances cruising out already super overcrowded streets without a care for anyone or anything else.

In sum, Ms. Lash, has it ever occurred to you how profoundly beneficial it would be, not only for the general health and well being of all us sanmiguelenses, but also to your own safety, good health and bienestar, if once in awhile, anyway, you were to get off of Isabella, and, like most of the rest of us, walk!

Larry Posner