HispanicVista Columnists

Chismes de me Gallinero
Sex and Bigotry Trump National Issues
By Julio C. Calderon

Lately, I have awakened not knowing exactly what day of the week it is. This isn’t due to activities of the night, but from decompressing from a work grind. I retired the end of July. Fortunately, life intruded and jarred me back to reality. These are the last weeks of a campaign season and the muck flying is so thick I am going to have to wash windows.

Important issues have been pushed out of the way, along with any semblance of logic or lofty campaign rhetoric. Wars have been shoved aside; issues about the economy and taxes are ignored; as are immigration and the construction of the Great Wall of America. This leads one to believe that the present administration must be doing well on these fronts. What could possibly have the power to push these important national issues to back-burners?

Sex and racism, any time Democrats can accuse Republicans of scandal everything else that is of national importance is eclipsed.

Disgraced former Congressman Mark Foley has provided Democrats with a sex scandal they hope will overturn the entire Congressional leadership without having to win the elections. They are banking that this issue will taint enough Republicans to encourage voters to throw the bums out. They seem to forget that ‘all politics are local.’ Foley is a Florida district’s pervert, not mine in California, but every one challenging a Republican incumbent is now on the same playbook; same talking points.

In California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger gave his view on immigrants need to assimilate. Some immigrants have difficulty leaving their language and customs behind in the old country. Specifically, he pointed to the fact that Mexican immigrants don’t assimilate as well as Asians have over the years. Perhaps, he pointed out, it is the close proximity of Mexico to California and the United States.

Fortunately, immigrants of many nations haven’t completely been assimilated, as in the Borg, otherwise, we would have been cheated out of all the different sounds we hear walking down a crowded Los Angeles street. We would have been cheated out of the richness of the music and arts; and the different tastes of foods from all around the world that find their way to restaurant kitchens in this state.

Wealthy are the emerging second and third generations that ‘assimilated’ but maintain the language of grandparents, and the foods their grandmothers prepared in their youth. They add to the rich American mosaic; a land so blessed that the foods and plants from the entire world can always find a piece of ground on which to flourish in California. Therefore, assimilation -- total assimilation -- is over-rated.

Gov. Schwarzenegger is right. For anyone to succeed in this country, or any other country, for that matter, the immigrant should immerse themselves in the language and the culture of their adopted country, be that the United State of America, or Americans that have immigrated into Mexico. It is a matter of survival. What I don’t understand is why Latino and Latina politicians are so easily offended by this fact.

What I don’t understand is why these folks are so easily ‘appalled’ by the truth of things; or why they interpret these comments as insensitive, divisive or bigoted. Is it truly that they are that sensitive, or is it just politics. Their candidate, State Treasure Phil Angelidas is sinking fast into a western sunset. So there is a need to turn the tide, especially since recent polls indicate that only 57 percent of Latino voters support their candidate. Now one would think that 57 percent is a pretty good number, however, historically, Democrat candidates for Governor or President have needed to hold on the at least 70 to 75 percent of the Latino vote to win.

So let’s examine this a bit in terms of being ‘divisive.’ Is Schwarzenegger’s statement divisive or the use of the statement by Democrats as a campaign issue that is divisive?

There are many things I don’t understand. The girls in the Gallinero (coop) are filling me in and its getting spooky out there. The Muslins got up in arms over Pope Benedict XVII quoting an ancient king. This raises a question in regard to professors who have dedicated their studies to ancient civilizations; dare they quote from ancient writings? Or do they revise history to appease Islamic purists?

And what happened to President Ronald Reagan’s Central Intelligence Agency? Those guys were able to find Libia’s Khadafy in a tent out in the middle of a desert and blow his camel out from under his butt, and President Clinton could only bring down a pill factory?

After retiring the end of July, I spent time in the Sonora Desert in Arizona with family. The desert in August during the Monsoon season has a purifying effect; it soothes you; it unravels the nerves; and, it sharpens your sensibilities. I needed that. The Gallinero survived by absence, but most of my lawns dried up; but they too are reviving. I am back.

____________________________________________________________--

Julio C. Calderon is a free lance writer and contributor to HispanicVista (www.hispanicvista.com). He can be reached at latsac2000@aol.com for any comments on this commentary.