46 Mexican Children Perish in Day Care Fire! Will Mexico's Plagues Ever End?

Governmental corruption preceded economic collapse. The migration problem was compounded by the drug cartel wars. The swine flu epidemic...now Mexico reels from its latest "golpe" [blow]: fire at a government-run day care center claimed the life of its 46th child last weekend.

Anger boiled over in the northwestern city of Hermosillo where the populace blames the government for failing to enforce safety regulations, for failing to properly investigate the blaze and for failing to hold anyone criminally responsible in the 10 days that have passed since the fire.

As time passes the national grief is turning to outrage in the embattled country. During a rally that was televised nationwide on CNN affiliate TV Azteca Saturday in front of the Sonora governor's office, parent Poberto Zavala declared to great cheers:

"If there is no justice from the authorities, there will be vengeance from the people."

Mexican President Felipe Calderon has promised there will be a complete investigation. Officials blame an air-conditioning unit in a government-run warehouse in the same building as the day care center for causing the fire.

Commentators denounce the fact that 46 children can die due to negligence while it appears that: 1) no one will be punished, and 2) that the safety of other day care centers is not being reviewed to ascertain that this will not happen again somewhere else in the country.

Suffering seems to be making a home in Mexico. When the plagues recur over and over, the question arises: how much can and will a people accept?

We offer our prayer for peace.

not dancing the cmas polka

today is the start of a new chapter in my family's lives. yesterday, i had to help lay to rest her best friend of almost 20 years and there's nothing like digging a hole in frigid weather to help with perspective. i have essentially checked out since the election in november- and i am glad i did. it isn't because i don't care what's going on in the world- but there comes a time when you need a refuge from it. so, i haven't been caught up in the holiday hoopla.

i have yet to figure out why folks make such a big deal about 'the holiday season'- oh, can't get anything started 'cause 'it's the holiday season,' etc. people rushing to and fro checking off lists of folks they have to buy for; getting up at the butt crack of dawn to get the early bird deals at the corporate chain stores; risking getting trampled to death at said chain stores. i don't get it. most folks claim to love the holidays but in reality- they are stressed and dread them. why do we do it?

'everybody needs a little holiday' now and again- it's a special time and a time to be celebrated. but is what 'cmas' has become really a celebration? perhaps for the corporates who were behind the invention of the modern cmas season. 'black friday' started because that's the day traditionally they made the biggest profits and santa claus as we know him comes from coca cola. not to belabor the point- but we need to re-evaluate our holidays and realize that not everyone celebrates them in the same way. there isn't a 'war on cmas' but there's a war by the christians to stamp out any other way to celebrate during what is traditionally the winter solstice season.

there are many folks this time of year experiencing great loss- personally, financially, spiritually- and yet we are supposed to buy, buy, buy and continue on as if we haven't exeperienced anything other than joy that a single human being was born 3,000 years ago or so. many folks have been born before and after that one person who were far more important and i just think that we need to be mindful that america is not a norman rockwell painting and this is not the season of peace.

jim reeves- merry cmas polka