On April 18, 2009 the Venesualin president, Hugo Chavez, gave President Obama a book as a gift.  The book is titled “Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent”.  Before anyone accuses me of anything, no I have not read the book.  I have read enough about it in the media to make me feel that I have already read the book.  Upon glancing at Amazon.com, the book is number 2 in the country at the time of this writing.  I can’t help but wonder what the appeal of this book is.  Are there people out there that truley think the answers to the world’s problems is to go back 500 years to see who’s fault it is?  What about the brutality of the Romans put forth towards my French ancestors 2000 years ago I want reparations, I want justice, not really.  Unfortunately, there is little I can do about it.  The people, the government’s, and all involved parties are no longer around.  And even if there was some form of Roman government that could be held accountable, what does that really do for me?
 
Yes, it is true that Latin America was settled by Europeans seeking fame and fortune.  It is also true that these Europeans brutalized the people native to the area, and committed unspeakable acts to them.  I acknowledge these things.  Another aspect of the book that seems to be proof of the American government intervening in Latin American affairs is the fact that, as one commentor put it “Latin Americans have been invaded by American marines more than 200 times”.  That would probably be because more than 200 times we have had to go and and settle unrest for an ally or burn them some form of drug fields.  The unpopular truth is that many Latin American governments are weak and are run by criminals, whether it be drug dealers or other kinds of psychos such as our buddy Hugo Chavez.
 
But this discussion concerning several centuries worth of history and how it relates to modern day events is quite interesting.  There are many examples in today’s world of groups of people that just can’t let it go.  And I really am not trying to de-mean personal beliefs of others, but here in America we believe in freedom for all.  We believe that if a person commits something against another person that infringes on their personal freedoms in the name of a religion, then that person who committed the act is being disingenuous to that religion by using it as that person scapegoat.  That being said, Chavez’s one action is a symbolic gesture of the problems in the world.  People that hold grudges against other people for something that happened centuries and sometimes millennia ago.  Look at Islam, the Palestinians, and Latin America; completely blinded by their hatred of an event or events that took place hundreds of years ago.  Much pent-up anger is devoted to how these groups of people are going to “get back” at the infidels.
 
Islam used to be a beacon of light and science, mathematics, and a whole host of other subjects.  Now, I know that there are some Islamic countries that do not fit this model, so I’m being rather general.  But for the most part this group of people has not produced squat in a long time.  And I believe it is because they are not willing to move forward.  Same goes with Latin America.  What’s the last big thing that you can think of that came out of Latin America, an invention, an idea anything!
 
I know naysayers are to say that this is an extremely horrible article that is entirely too general for the topics at hand.  But I just have one question for you when you were watching the news at night and you hear about the Palestinians, who do have their own lands now, that are homeless and are demanding more from their Israeli neighbors.  Why don’t they just give up the anger and look towards building a better world around them with what they’ve got?  There truly is no sense in living that far in the past, because everyone around you just doesn’t get it.

In this day of split-second media, ever more increasing demonstrations of idiocy seem to be on the rise.  Take for example a news item reported by Katie Stallcup of Auburn, Alabama (“Councilman removes Confederate flags from graves, “Opelika-Auburn News, April 23, 2009).
 
City Councilman Arthur L. Dowdell believes that being elected to a city-wide post allows him to be above the law.  On Thursday, April 23, the “Honorable” Dowdell Pulled his car into the Pine Hill Cemetery in Auburn and proceeded to “pull up” small Confederate flags placed on the graves of Confederate veterans, which were recently decorated for Confederate Memorial Day, a State holiday celebrated in Alabama on Monday, April 27.
 
In fact, one of the flags was “snapped” in two by the Councilman.  Or, if one is to believe Mr. Honorable, the flag “might have snapped itself,” he said. “If it did, so what? If I had my way, I would have broke them all up and stomped on them and burned them.”
 
And what in the world could have given the Councilman the idea that he could simply march into a cemetery and begin removing private property?
 
Evidently, some City cemeteries have covenants restricting deed owners from placing certain decorations on the graves of the dearly departed.  However, Pine Hill Cemetery has no such covenants, and the graves are private property purchased by the individuals or the family of those individuals buried in the cemetery. 
 
But in the interest of “consistency,” the Councilman and Mayor will be looking into taking away some of the property rights of deed holders within Pine Hill Cemetery.
 
Let’s put aside the fact that Confederate flags were involved, and let’s use as our example a large, plastic pink flamingo. 
 
I live in a subdivision without covenants and without a Home Owners’ Association.  Let’s further say that I live next door to a lunatic who is gaga over pink flamingos.  In fact, this individual is so obsessed with the filthy beasts that his entire lawn is one vast sea of pink flamingos.
 
I am quite offended by this unrestrained use of lawn ornaments.  I am the butt of my friend’s jokes.  My children are frightened to go outside.  In short, I am being oppressed by the vile fowls.
 
Then what is a boy to do?  Run on my neighbor’s property and rip every last blessed bird out of the ground, crushing one into recyclable material for good measure?
 
No.  Simply because I am annoyed, insulted, hurt, and maybe even scarred, I do not have the right to enter upon my neighbor’s lawn and begin removing and destroying his private property.
 
Certainly, my neighbor would have me arrested, charged with a number of criminal offenses, such as trespass, destruction of property, assault on a bird, and so on.  In fact, he would undoubtedly sue me for civil damages as well, probably for more money than the pink plastic poop is worth, simply to teach me a lesson.
 
Why then does Councilman Dowdell think he is above the law?  The truth — he is an elected official.  Until Americans wake up and hold their elected officials accountable for their stupid actions in the name of the electorate, none of our fundamental rights will be safe.