Even after visiting the memorial, it was still impossible truly comprehending Argentina's horror. Nothing approaching that magnitude, for example, has ever happened in the United States. But--what about outside its borders? What of those America has tortured and "disappeared"- in places like Guantánamo Bay, Iraq and elsewhere? Does it really matter that these were not neighbors or relatives, as was the case in Argentina? All humans deserve to live unmolested, no matter what resources they stand atop.
President-elect Barack Obama's watchword is change. Well, as a U.S. citizen, here's some change I could believe in: a full and open airing of the current administration's militaristic misdeeds, followed by the appropriate prosecution of those responsible for same.
For as another weekend night in Buenos Aires would unfold alive with laughter and song, the message was (very loud and) clear: despite the pain, Argentina, by confronting its hideous legacy, had at last begun its recovery process. Conversely, America's spirit remains sickened, poisoned by senseless war and the intolerable abuse of others. Perhaps only when we Americans fearlessly address the toxic actions of our own government can our nation's soul also begin to heal, thereby making it possible for us, too, to celebrate unfettered our place in the sun.
Even if it's at somewhere around, oh, one in the morning.
Copyright © 2008 Mark Drolette. All rights reserved.
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