Youth Movement

Lady Gaga's song (below) has been used for political action by this generation of young people in the West. The question for this note is how is the youth movement doing in 2010?

When I was in college, 1967 to 1971; we had two important national student movements in Mexico: One ended on October 2, 1968, the other on June 10, 1971. From that perspective I comment on the current, student, and more broadly youth movement now.

Today is student day here in Guerrero. At least since 1950 there has been a dance from 10 o'clock at night to around 4 in the morning. This time our school did not organize one, I guess because there are political, and academic activities in the University, where students participate, like end of year student presentations.

The seniors did organize a celebration for teachers a week ago. They presented shows, and fed us. Expressing their thanks for our efforts to help them learn mathematics, and whatever else that goes with it. They come here expecting guidance, in more ways than academic.

In 1968, most of our teachers failed us. Police entered some school campuses and beat teachers and students, and only a few teachers joined the protests. At some point even the President's authority in the country was questioned. The particular events that started the movement, in hindsight, do not seem that important. What I believe the whole movement represents, is the state of national rejection to the political authority in Mexico after the Revolution of 1910.

In my personal experience that year of 1968, when I was 18, was a life changing experience. I decided to dedicate my life to the pursuit of knowledge, and away from practical applications of science; eventually I decided to become a Scientist.

Our movement was influenced by other student movements going on in France, Czechoslovakia, and the US. We were not copying, we had our own dynamics, and it seems that those dynamics in other countries were similar. Few of us spoke French, Czech, or English, but nevertheless the Mexican media fed us news from those far away places. Maybe something in the air, all through the western world. After all, since WWII, many experiences got tied up in one way or another. For instance, my father went to work to the US, because American men of his generation were sent to fight to Europe and Asia.

Coming to today. If you follow this blog at all, you might have noticed my partiality to the brave fight by my own children. I mean the illegal Mexican kids that now are in the custody of the authorities ready to be deported. This week in Democaracy Now! you can see one young man from Iran, and two Mexican young women. They are leaders of this movement, and were arrested in the office of that poser, John McCain. In Mexico we say: "más pronto cae un hablador que un cojo," sooner does a person with a lose mouth falls than a person with one leg. John McCain: you are a liar!

McCain led me to believe that he was going to help the DREAM act, and those kids also thought so. Now they are waiting to be deported. Shame on you!

I hope Americans come to their senses and resolve this issue fairly.

I don't have illusions though, I am 60 now, and I know that some prejudices never die. All I can tell to those Americans that want to send back to their countries millions of "other" people, is that very likely some of them are going to be taken care of, in nursing homes, and hospitals, by these very children they want to throw out now.

What I do believe in, is in political organization, Cesar Chavez, and Martin Luther King Jr., showed us the way. I see some courageous political leaders like Bill Richardson, Luis Gutierrez, Antonio Villaraigosa, and others. I hope they don't turn out like John McCain. Principles, politicians need principles.

Hope dies last (la esperanza es lo último que muere), I'm still waiting for McCain to start acting like a man, and confront the extreme right in his party. Mr. McCain, that road leads to fascism.

To conclude, the youth and student movement of today is a cosmopolitan movement, they are building the future society, one in which your place of birth is as irrelevant as the color of your skin, or your religious beliefs. I can't wait the coming of the age of Aquarium.

Let us all love each other, Jesus Christ said this two thousand years ago, it is time we listen to him.