"The white race is the cancer of human history." Susan Sontag---dead since 12/28/04 due to cancer/leukemia

Three lesbians and a Texan walk into a bar . . .

Lawrence Summers (http://www.president.harvard.edu/speeches/2005/nber.html)

Ward Churchill (www.pirateballerina.com)

As you've probably already figured out from the references above you might want to "Buckle your seatbelt, it's going to be a bumpy ride."

Here's a Red Alert to all who live in Mexico and enjoy the experience. We're once again under siege by the Tinfoil Hat people.

The latest moonrays are beamed to the abysmally ignorant among us from short-term visitors to Mexico who are quite anxious to tell us how to function in our retirement homes.

The winner of the Tinfoil Hat Nazi of the Year Award should be the 10-day tourist who recently anonymously posted on a Mexico-based forum the idea that anyone who wished to obtain an FM3 to live in the Lake Chapala area should be required to complete a course on Mexican culture.

That's the benign section. The part that guarantees at least a nomination for the THNOTYA was the suggestion that those who fail to present themselves for indoctrination should be shunned by the rest of us. After all, as the anonymous poster explained, nothing forces compliance like isolation.

What's wrong with this picture? Let's learn to be sensitive to the culture of one group by slappin' the snot out of the rights of another group. I do wish that the Caucasian self-haters would just leave the rest of us alone for awhile. Yeah, I know that's a culturally insensitive sentiment. There are a number of expatriates in Mexico who aren't beige. They might agree with me too.

But which Mexican culture are we going to get all warm and fuzzy about? One of these described at:
http://www.vdare.com/sailer/Mexico.htm
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/fellows/mexico0803/1.html
http://www.transcontinental.com/en/fs01/p01000_020417.html
http://www.aztlan.net

or one of hundreds of other sub-cultures within the country or presuming to represent the country? And for those of you who get all wet and weepy while bemoaning the situations of these modern-day "noble savages", these friendly and smiling simple souls, check out this e-mail from an anonymous (Are you picking up on a common thread here?) poster to a forum at http://www.minutemanproject.com/Unendorsements.html

Here is the posting - my comments are in white type. The (sic)s are mine too. No charge.

Saturday, February 26, 2005

Subject: Minute Man (sic) proyect (sic in English, OK in Espanol)

I am an American (Hyphenated American?) living in the central area of Mexico, and we seem to have an uncontrolled immigration problem here as well . . . every day I walk by the central plaza of the little and charming town I have chosen to live in, and it sickens me to observe a multitude of decrepit old men and women - gringos, mind you . . . (Has the Mexican government suddenly withdrawn the income and registration requirements for FM3 applicants - or even the need for an FMT, FM3, or FM2 for LEGAL migration to Mexico?) sitting there, poisoning the atmosphere with their pathetic attitudes towards the locals, pretending to appear as the redeemers of the people with their disgusting little dogs (Whoa, bubba boy, go after the old farts and fartettes all you want but be careful talkin' about my dog.) which they treat better than (sic) they would treat their own sons and daughters (which by the way, wouldn't be seen dead (sic) in the proximity), talking big about their homeland and the big money they made, all the while bargaining to pay 25 cents less to the old lady who sells tortillas as her only income. (Will bargaining be part of that cultural sensitivity curriculum or is that "so yesterday"? And what a weird example. Every place I've lived both gringos and locals buy tortillas from the tortillaria where they're machine produced and the price per kilo is posted.)

These decrepit, pathetic old mummies, rotting leftovers of the so-called great USA capitalist system, are the ones that are in truth (sic) poisoning the air of our beautiful town. As you are sickened of (sic) illegal immigrants crossing the border towards the US, we are equally uncomfortable with these human remains establishing (sic) in our own local community. I propose to create a branch of your project locally, so that we could retire these pre-carcasses in an appropriate way, perhaps recycling them as biscuits for pigs or even for their despicable little rats posing as dogs. (OK, now you've done it! I told you to leave my dog out of this!)

We abhor these gringos (What happened to your claim of being an American, little buddy?) as much as you abhor the illegal aliens in your country. (Let's see - apples in this hand, and oranges over here. I wonder why they don't look the same?) Why don't you take all your relatives (That'd be my culturally-savvy Spanish speaking wife, my income earned outside of Mexico, and my despicable little ratdog.) back to your "beautiful" homeland? If it is so great, what in the blazes are you doing here?

Like Lincoln said, "I need this grief like I need another hole in my head."

I don't know about my fellow USAers but I'm temporarily taking a break from a society in which a female MIT biologist with a PhD can be reduced to a quivering mass of estrogen flavored hysteria by a few remarks made by the President of Harvard University at an academic conference.

And from those like Michael Moore who, on page 276 of Stupid White Men . . . and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation! offers his thanks to Ann Cohen who he credits with explaining to him how both a toilet seat and a bar of soap work. On both counts I'm offering odds that neither explanation actually registered. Does the guy really look like he understands the intricacies and mysteries of soap use?

But let's get back to the subject under consideration; cultural sensitivity. My first impulse was to suggest you take the Ward Churchill route and claim you're a descendant of Mexican great-grandparents. Big Chief Ward, who used to head up a Colorado State University ethnic studies program, evidently claimed a dab of Indian blood as partial evidence of his qualifications for the job.

No one except for the Kulturally Korrect Krew at http://www.aztlan.com has been able to prove up his claim. However, the warriors of Aztlan can produce neither the actual lab reports, nor even the name of the lab that performed the alleged DNA test because there are mean people out there who might say bad things about them and him.

Most of you aren't devious enough to pull off a blatant fraud so let's try another way to demonstrate respect for the culture of the country we've retired to without having to demean ourselves or our country of origin.

Here's all you need to do (he modestly stated) to enjoy yourself down here. Just use a little common sense. This ain't rocket surgery folks

Learn a few words and simple phrases of Spanish before you come down. You'll learn more as you spend time interacting with local residents.

Read a few of the books, newsletters, and personal websites about both the country and the specific area you're interested in. Find out where the writers live and what their qualifications are. Some who don't live in Mexico have a great deal of experience SoB but many don't. Kick the tires and look under the hood.

Check out leads on this website.

Go to http://www.oregonstate.edu and on the Home Page locate the "Search OSU!" box. Type in "Mexico Handbook" and you'll be directed to the link for a 71 page handbook titled "Teaching Internships in Mexico." Search through it for information specific to your needs.

Practice your best smile. I've seen what appeared to be unfriendly scowls disappear from Mexican faces to return a smile I offered.

Don't assume that what you see on any given day is a recurring or constant behavior.

Observe with an open mind and no preconceptions as well as you're able. The Talmud teaches that "We see things not as they are, but as we are."

Mexico and her "culture" are as varied as the NoB countries. There are as many ranges, if not more, of money, education, work ethics, skills, needs, wishes, etc..

Ask questions. If you're seeking answers from another gringo the first question you should ask is "How long have you lived here?" If you're reading forums, don't assume that every poster who answers questions knows anything about Mexico. For legal matters contact official sources.

Join in every local activity you wish. Shop in the local tianguis, participate in local festivals and fiestas, volunteer to help local organizations, or travel to other areas if that will make you happy.

Or stay home and watch TV all day, shop at Wal Mart, and hire an English speaker to handle all your affairs.

There is no requirement that you must totally integrate into or immerse yourself in the Mexican culture. You have the right to choose the degree of involvement you're comfortable with. It's your money, your retirement, and your decision as to how you wish to use and exercise them.

You have no obligation to like Mexico or to choose to live here. It's an option. Visit first, for an extended period, in differing locales, at different times of the year, and engage in as many of your interests as you can. If it turns out that you truly enjoy Mexico and her people and customs, and think you'll be able to deal with the differences, please join us.

If not, there's no stigma attached to returning to your NoB home. You don't have to justify your decision to anyone.

My decision is to stay here at the beach for awhile; to watch the whales and dolphins swim by, to visit with my neighbors, to putter about the property - painting, landscaping, vegging - and learn more about the area.

And tomorrow I'm going kayaking in the lagoon with three of my friends. After that we'll probably wind up walking into that same bar again.