Blog 6: The Neglected Citizen

The Neglected Citizen:

                  Imagine yourself in a rural community, in a nation in which your own personal health and families well being is placed second to the international political games which are most important to the “elected officials”. However for many of the indigenous communities of Mexico, this scenario is something that can be vividly imagined, because they live it in their everyday life. Today’s class lecture really brought full circle the corruption and problems that Mexican’s citizens have to put up with from their own government.  Due to this unrest of the people of Mexico with their government, resistance groups have become more and more attractive for Mexicans around the nation including the Zapatista’s.

                  Although when first reading the articles provided for class readings, I saw the Zapatista’s as radicalistic of had very little reason for their rebellace behavior, this was later change. Although a few of the readings are written by Subcomandate Insurgente Marcos himself, the manor in which he writes them seemed to be somewhat demanding and radical with little room for negotiation. One example of this is in the article entitled, 7 years from what we call “the other uprising”, Marcos utilizes language such as demand, and fulfillment in order to describe what they are seeking from the government. After watching a 60 minutes interview with a prominent Zapatista Leader Subcomandante Insurgent Marcos, drastically changed my opinion, as Marcos is only attempting to do is better the lives of thousands of Mexicans. In the interview Marcos states that all he is fighting for is “democracy, liberty, and justice” and later states that he is “sick of seeing this on paper and wants actual results”. Marcos proves to a case in which talks with the government, has only lead to lip service and un-kept promises by the government to help their citizens.

                  But what I found most interesting was the reporter who first opened the 60 minutes interview that describes Marcos as a “ski mask wearing guerilla.” This statement initially made me associate Marcos with militant irrational militarist due to my thoughts on guerilla. But after listen to the entire interview this personal view drastically changed. This interview and readings put together gave me real incite to the frustrations of the people of Mexico with their government, especially those who come from indigenous backgrounds. The video interview only helped to add with visual pictures of one indigenous communities unsuitable living conditions. I found it much easier to connect to the lives of these indigenous people and understand their circumstances through the visual representation rather than the readings.

                  In comparison I find it very appropriate in connecting this to the economic status family that in which i am staying with. Here in Oaxaca this family is rated as middle to upper-middle class family. When I first arrived here this was somewhat of a culture shock as my family back home is upper middle class and the style of living is much different. A family such as this in the United States would be rated in a lower class family. Comparing these made me think that what the indigenous people are asking from the government isn’t that much. They are only asking for help in gaining the basic necessities to live a decent life equal to that of a poor person the United States. The fact that these people go neglected time and time again with only paper promises is a reason for people like Marcos having a legitimate grievance with their government.

Greg Kenney