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1:49 a.m. - 2003-06-02
Historically Speaking
My youngest son put on "The Mask of Zorro" to watch today. It helped with a history lesson we had discussed a while back. He had expressed surprise the first time he watched "Lord of the Dance - Feet of Fire". It was the costuming that foxed him - it's not Irish is it Mom? Looks more like Mexican to me.

I explained that southern Ireland had had an influx of Spanish immigrants about the time that the Carthaginians had first been recorded to conquer Spain - about 400 BC. The reason they chose Ireland - at that time a lot of the population of Spain was of celtic derivation too - cousins. There were a lot of cross-cultural exchanges for the next 1500 years. Ireland became the cultural and intellectual center for preserving European heritage while the Moors invaded from North Africa and the Franks and the Gauls duked it out over control of the Holy Roman Empire between about 700 to 1200 AD. Many fled to it as a safe haven.

Now all that verbiage is often lost on teenagers, but in the opening minutes of "The Mask of Zorro" there is the sound of a Flamenco dancer moving ever faster to the music. I pointed out to my son that it sounded much like Michael Flatley's solos while wearing the costume in question. End of history lesson. Teachable moments. Haven't got to the invasions of the Vikings, Welsh or English yet (ya'll aren't from around here are you?). They are the non-integrated immigrants that are just starting to stop fighting it out today over who belongs and who doesn't.

It doesn't really matter what country one looks at historically, same carnage and/or discrimination everywhere based on events that happened 500, 1000, or even 2000 years ago. Yet look at where and when the greatest cultural and scientific advancements occurred. Where and when a country was safe enough and peaceful enough that creative effort could be focussed on then that opportunity offers itself up.

I recall working with some survivors of the concentration camps in Bosnia in the 1990's. Regardless of which of the three "sides" was speaking about the seeds of the current civil war, the first words were always to the effect - "it started when they killed my great.....grandfather at the Field of the Birds". And when did that occur? "In 1378 AD." Now I don't care how good one's memory is, the events of 600+ years are not seared on one's eyes and mind. The victimization that the speakers claim, was inflicted on them by their own families and cultures - each wilfully contaminating the next generation so that the cycle never will end.

There is a documentary I watched about a Bosnian Serb and Muslim falling in love and choosing to stay together, during the last conflict. It is presented as if it were a modern day version of Romeo and Juliette. The young couple try to meet one day in the no-man's land between the two warring sides. Shots from both sides of the divide take their lives and they die in each other's arms - film at eleven. The commentary called it a tragic romance. I think it is an obscenity - one that pervades almost every corner of this world.

So dear diary what prompted that little tirade? Well, it appears in another country the same poisons is spewing out anew. The Myanmar military has placed Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi in custody "for her own protection" again. Of course she can't confirm or deny that since she is being held incommunicado. Uh huh.

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