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Serious talk from Finca Solana

LettersSerious talk from Finca Solana


In my innocence, I believed in everyone, looking and giving love and understanding. In return I got kicks; I was treated like the worst animal. After getting those physical and psychological hits from people, I started to learn how to defend myself without violence. One thing is to learn how to defend yourself and another is to take advantage of others. We also had a code of ethics.


Where I lived and learned, it wasn?t a matter of getting at one (1) person. Whenever someone starts something they have to take out the entire family, including animals. That is why we had to think one hundred times before starting to consider the killing of someone. There were and are different ways of doing things. Each individual, group or family, has their ?invisible? mark. Every person has a gun, and families teach their children from two years old how to use one. Families with economical wealth send their sons or daughters to other places or countries. The reason is for these to come back and revenge their families? death. Nowhere was too far, because there were also hired gunmen who charged good amount of money to track down the interested ones. Even if it took them ten years, the job would be done.


This culture had reached to such an extent that managers who took advantage of their workers got killed. I will mention one case. A Spaniard manager of a hotel had the habit to kick employees on the rectum. One day he made the mistake to kick an indigenous gardener. These people (native) have a custom to always carry a handbag with black beans, pepper and tortillas for lunch, along with an automatic with 5 or 6 full loaders. The native gardener took out his automatic and shot the manager in the head. He walked away and we never knew about him again.


The killing culture went all up into the places for tourist amenities. The government had to do something about it. A group of persons were sent to the country of Israel to get trained to fight against such situations. One of these persons, after doing a ?good job?, was promoted to General. Today he is in jail, not because of the murders, but because of the military General?s involvement in drug trafficking.


The word in the streets in those days was that they used to take the suspects to middle ocean in a helicopter. Shoot them in the head and throw the body into the water. This say on the streets had never been proved. There was another version that was proved of the murders of many, many people that were thrown into a well by a clean up government non-official group.


The difference with such country and Belize is that it was a whole community culture and not an ethnic group. The majority of the people that come from other countries to make Belize their home is not because they are afraid of violence (armed revolution). They are running from it and want to live in a quiet ambience. Each one of you, my brothers and sisters, that kill someone, is a space that has to be filled up by others. And where do you think these others will come from to do the work of those that died, should be doing?


I would be lying if I should say that I have an answer, but I can tell you what I did. I got into what I love most, and that is books. So I started to study on my own about human rights, labour laws, civil laws, constitution, universal history, religion in general, etc. And I would find persons that know more than I do, seeking for a debate (not physical fight). That way I would learn more.


Today I am still learning, because only God knows it all. The most of the things I learned in the past doesn?t work in Belize. So in my old days I am starting all over again. But you know what? It?s fun and it makes life more beautiful and interesting.


So, my dear brothers and sisters, look for your way. Mine is books; what is yours? I?ll tell you something. When I was 24 years old I had the belief that communism and democracy can work together, and I made this my issue for almost four years. Today I am in my 60s and I still believe that it can work. My communism is one with social justice and liberty for the community, with no discrimination. We should all live on the same level, no high, middle and low class or no different classes of people. We should all be one. My democracy is one that consists of social justice, the respect of individual rights, liberty, not libertine or libertinism.


Think about it, my brothers and sisters, and don?t forget those that like to give beautiful discourses that: when there is hunger and illness, discourses of good will are of no use.



Respectfully,


(Signed) Clinton Luna


Finca Solana


Corozal Town

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