Some thoughts after taking a break....

To take a break is so refreshing....

On the Mosque Nonsense
Some time ago, I wrote about the fear of a Latino U.S.A. Some may laugh and merely consider it preposterous. The obvious truth is that when you add fuel to the fire, you're not looking for a solution but rather making it worse. Clarity? Well, take a listen to the current arguments over the proposed mosque near "Ground Zero." The rhetoric surrounding this proposal, which is fueled by some of our elected officials, is hateful nonsense. This hateful nonsense, the same nonsense which is displayed when debating immigration, is taken by some as a sign that it is acceptable to hate.

The notion that all Muslims must be terrorist is like saying that all Latinos must be immigrants. There is no crime in being a Muslim and being able to freely practice Islam...so too a mosque near "Ground Zero"....

On the Violence against P.R. Women
Yes, none are immune from the violence against women. Unfortunately, for Puerto Rican women living in Puerto Rico there seems to be no escape from the violence. Puerto Rico suffers one of the world's worst rates and it's government seems to consider this to not be important enough to maintain funding for.

The Office of the Women's Advocate, which was formed in 2001, is another weak spot within the goverment. No matter how dire the economic situation, there are some things that need all the funding possible and this is one. Another 'shame on you' for that FARTuño administration.

And on Lolita
The passing of Lolita Lebrón brings about thoughts of a courageous life. A life full of strength, one that need be admired and remembered. I recently read an article in which a statement read (in reference to the 1954 attack in Congress), " she set us back" ... I guess from a pro-statehood point of view that would be the case. I prefer to look at it as an act of courage and love for country. Not to condone the act itself or any act of violence as a means to obtaining or making ones point but rather the courage behind the act. To understand her actions, one needs to truly understand the U.S.-Puerto Rico relationship and what was occurring at the time. Also understand, if you are in a position where someone strikes then standing up and striking back as a means of self defense is acceptable. Lolita would later renounce violence herself but her courage was undying.

What strikes me is the lack of media coverage in Puerto Rico on Lolita's death. The quietness about it is equivalent to labeling her life as a negative. The underlying truth is that many feel shame...but what they don't realize is that if they are ashamed of the courageous life of Lolita Lebrón then they are ashamed of being Puerto Ricans.

RIP Lolita Lebrón

Life has a way of taking one places based on their actions. For Lolita Lebrón, born and raised in Lares, Puerto Rico, her actions would take her to the United States House of Representatives on March 1, 1954. That day, 56 years ago, stamped Lolita and her compatriots as heroes of the Puerto Rican Nationalist movement.
Serving 25 years of a 70 year sentence before being pardoned in 1979 by then President Jimmy Carter. She remained steadfast in her nationalistic views. It was one her compatriots, Don Rafael Cancel Miranda, who said it perfectly, “When you are real, there is no power in the world that can make you change, or bow your heads.” This is exactly the way she lived her life.




Dolores "Lolita" Lebrón Sotomayor (November 19, 1919 – August 1, 2010)

Another quote that exemplifies her life is that of Don Pedro Albizu Campos, "La Patria es valor y sacrificio." To those who cherish all that is Puerto Rico, she will never be forgotten. Rest in peace, Lolita Lebrón.

• "There is no victory without pain"


• "I am not sorry for fighting for the freedom of my country"


• "Yo no vine a matar, yo vine a morir."