By DUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZThe Paz Files
McALLEN, Texas - We arrived here late last night being tailed by a neat northern wind. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't 110-degrees in the shade, as is the case most of the year in the tropical Rio Grande Valley. Moving down from the Austin area isn't much of a road trip. The road is too busy with trucks and highway construction looms just ahead of every roadside taqueria from Three Rivers to Edinburg.
It also is a fun drive, if only because we make it once a year. A few things have been on our minds lately.
One is this lingering stage play now raging across the land, this Occupy Wall Street movement that has to be doing something right if ditzy, annoying former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is against it. Surely, that is one barometer to measure what's right with America and what's wrong.
Much, of course, is right. I am the first to say this is still the greatest country in the world. But we have our rough edges, our zealots and our true freedom fighters. Ever heard of Jesse Ventura, the pro wrestler who grew up to be governor of Minnesota, Land of 10,000 lakes?
Well, Jesse is onto something.
Yesterday, he got his hair up a bit when a court dismissed his lawsuit against all that security crap you run into at American airports. Ventura has a titanium hip implant and he says they put him through screening hell every time he flies commercially. He wants a revolution.
How badly? "I will never stand for a national anthem again," he said when learning of his lawsuit's dismiaal. "I will turn my back and I will raise a fist."
Ventura is a former U.S. Navy SEAL.
Never stand for the national anthem? I hear it happens all the time locally, although perhaps for good reason. Turn his back and raise his fist? We've seen that before, at the crazy 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, when two Black American sprinters did what Ventura is suggesting to protest the shabby treatment of their brothers back home. Raised fists in black gloves - a dramatic show of anger and protest.
So, who knows what will become of Ventura's one-man revolution? He's not exactly a role model, or someone the entire country could fall behind. But the red, white & blue is clearly troubled.
Ventura may just be sparking something...
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9 comments:
Jessie Ventura went off the deep end years ago. He was a populist governor elected on promises of changing big government and championing the cause of the little man. Soon it became evident he had received too many blows to the head during his wrestling career. Ventura started seeing conspiracies behind every corner. Conspiracies lead by the government, big business, network television, the print media and labor unions. He rattled on about fluoride in our drinking water; government cover-ups of UFOs, the Kennedy assassinations, mind control of school children and secret stockpiles of “new money” to replace the U.S. dollar with a world currency. He should have stayed in show business – tough guy movie parts and wrestling, after all the Magnificent Moohla wrestled well into her eighties.
Jesse needs to get over it. I quit flying a long time ago. I hate intrusive goverment agents who invade your privacy for no good reasons.
George Bush left over crap.
Ventura is right. The couintry is going to Hell and it's time to get bitchy.
Welcome to the Rio Grande Valley Mr. Paz-Martinez. I hope your stay is pleasant and when you go back to the big city tell the folks in Austin about the cool mornings of Fall, the clean air, the people going to Sunday mass at the San Juan Shrine, having a cup of coffee at the doughnut shop, a greeting of "good morning" even from people you dont even know. THAT is "EL MAGICO VALLE".
*Woman from Brownsville.
Jesse the Body, had a program about theories on cable, he should stick to show business like the Kardshians, or something like that.
Jerry McHale is right, not even Jimmy Barton at the meanmisters blog is posting comments about Tony Tormenta Martinez, is he still the Mayor of Brownsville?
McHale, Tony Martinez, the illustrious Mayor of Browntown is afraid of Emma Perez-Trvino.
She is brutal with her articles.
Korry Marra a city commissioner from Harlingen, goes to trial tomorrow, on a conflict of interest charge.
Good, every city ought to hold elected officials in check.
I will admit, people in the Valley are friendly. Many of the Winter express the same sentiments.
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