Mexican and American people should remember the Mexican revolution which took place in 1910. Several years people struggled for their lands, freedom and the opportunity to lead a normal life. Many people had leave their places as Americans and other powerful people just captured what they had.
Reading the book The Wind that Swept Mexico: The History of the Mexican Revolution, 1910-1942 by Brenner and Leighton (1984), it is possible to imagine how people struggled and how they suffered. Inequality and injustice supported that revolution.
Looking at the time when the events took place, the beginning of the 20th century and the barbaric circumstances which supported the revolution, it is possible to predict that nothing similar may be seen in the modern time. However, the events in the modern world and the countries, which still allow such cases, exist.
Columbia is a developing country where the laws are rather co0ntestible and the behavior of some powers remain unsatisfied. However, people are unable to contradict due to low income, poor existence and other factors which impact the situation.
It is possible to draw the parallel; between Similar to 1910s Mexico and Colombia’s “dispossessed”, the events which may be characterized by the illegal having of the lands of population taken away by wealthy landowners with the complicity of the government.
Remembering the Mexican revolution, the participants and the simple viewers of the event saw the following, Every home was in a state of siege. Civilians dodging out for food were often caught in crossfires, and their bodies lay in the streets. Women ran on desperate errands carrying flags made of sheets tied to brooms. A million people had become only a battlefield (Brenner, & Leighton, 1984, p. 34).
Reading such explanation, it is impossible to imagine that the same things may happen in the civilized world. However, this is exactly what happened in 2000 in Columbia. Molano (2005) in his book The dispossessed: chronicles of the Desterrados of Colombia presents the story of this country when people were deprived of everything they had.
There was neither law nor judges, neither protectors nor those who could even help. Powerful people believed that they could do everything they had, others were sure that they did not have anything and could not sustain. Reading the stories told by a boy named Toñito, one becomes really shocked of how the government of the country may act in such a way.
Modern world is based on democracy where people are the hands of the power. Still, Columbia is not such a country. The government there lives under personal rules and does all possible to satisfy personal needs.
Remembering the Mexican revolution, people say, “cases involving a foreigner against a Mexican were decided according to the principle that the foreigner must be right” (Brenner, & Leighton, 1984, p. 11). The foreigners were the conquerors and this may be considered as one of the approvals of the events. “Many wars.
Here had been a great war in which the Americans – or was it the English? had come down from the north and, aided by the devil… had overrun many lands” (Brenner, & Leighton, 1984, p. 18). However, the situation in Columbia was different. Paramilitaries came to the places of simple people to get what they wanted.
Molano (2005) writes, “everybody was inside by eight o’clock. The adults would sit outside talking among themselves until then, because later, the paramilitaries would ride by on their motorcycles and kill whoever was at the street” (p. 73).
Therefore, the main difference between the Mexican revolution and the Columbian’s dispossessed was the fact that in the first case the foreigners wanted to get something from a poor neighbors, while in the situation with Columbia, the government and wealthy people believed that they do not possess enough and simple poor people should give them what they have.
Toñito’s story about his family who were killed is touching. He tells about the representatives of power who wanted to get their house, about his days when he had nothing to eat and to where to leave. As a result, Toñito remain at the street with other boys (Molano, 2005). Osiris’s story is more shocking.
Her husband was shot in front of her and her children. Several years later, her son was killed by police and her daughter disappeared. The more shocking event was the fact that she was accused in the murder and disappearance of her children.
These are the methods how police and other governmental structures made people leave their places to give those to powerful and wealthy representatives of the society. Such countries as Mexico and Columbia do not know what democracy is. These people are not sure what they can wait from their government, they are not protected at all.
These two war events which took place in Mexico and about 100 years later in Columbia prove the fact that there are people who do want to get everything, that democracy for some people is just the word which means nothing. Of course, powerful people will always get more if they use their power on the personal benefit.
However, governments of the same kind should understand that the life under oppression cannot last forever, there always will be people who will want to change everything. Looking at Mexican people, it is impossible to say that they live wealthy lives, however, these people are happy to have their homes, lands and work. Columbian oppression is also finishes.
Social and political processes are subjected to different laws. Even if the country leaders do not know them, it does not mean that they are not going to work. Oppressed people are ready for revolution and they will win this revolution some time.
Fear for personal life is not that powerful like the fear for the same future for children, for the same future for the further generations. There are many examples in the world history where people are ready to fight to death for the freedom of those who will manage to survive.
The examples of the violence (foreigners in Mexico and police in Columbia) almost 100 years ago show that human greed does not have the measures. Having a desire to get more land, powerful structures are ready for murders and other violence acts to make sure that they will be able to get what they want.
Molano (2005) and Brenner & Leighton (1984) give the vivid examples of what happened in Columbia and Mexico respectively and these pictures shock. The events and the reasons are similar as the fight for land has always been supported with blood and suffering.
Reference List
Brenner, A., & Leighton, G. R. (1984). The Wind that Swept Mexico: The History of the Mexican Revolution, 1910-1942. Austin: University of Texas Press.
Molano, A. (2005). The dispossessed: chronicles of the Desterrados of Colombia. New York: Haymarket Books.