Ever since he arrived on earth, man has killed and has also tried to explain why he kills – to little avail. Killing continues unabated. With due deference to the great minds that have wrestled with this conundrum, two contemporary women writers, while acknowledging that women, too, can kill, offer as persuasive an explanation as we are likely to get. Continue reading “Why Kill?”
Category: Mexico
Mexican Paradise
Visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City must look up, way up to see the lofty exhibit from the cathedral in Puebla, Mexico. Three stories high is a spectacular painting of the Old and New Testaments – “Moses and the Brazen Serpent and the Transfiguration of Jesus”- completed by Mexican artist Cristobal de Villalpondo in 1683. Continue reading “Mexican Paradise”
Spring Break in Mexico
The U.S. State Department has issued a travel warning to spring breakers and others going to Mexico. Because of the crime wave, there’s a risk in certain parts of Mexico, says the report, and that includes kidnapping. It may be the usual abduction for ransom or the victim may be forced to withdraw money from an ATM or he or she may be threatened over the phone until payment is made. Continue reading “Spring Break in Mexico”
Confederates in Mexico
History books tell us the American Civil War ended when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox on April 9, 1965. But not quite. There was a sequel. A few thousand Confederates went south of the border to Mexico to continue the struggle. Continue reading “Confederates in Mexico”
Our Spy in Mexico
At the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, Mexico City was teeming with intrigue. Agents of the United States, the Soviet Union and Cuba jostled one another for information and influence. Writes Gus Russo in his book “Live By The Sword”: “This megalopolis had become the most spy infested in the Western Hemisphere, if not the world.” Continue reading “Our Spy in Mexico”
The Beast
It’s the most dangerous ride in Mexico but never lacks for riders. Central Americans, fleeing the violence of their region, cross the Mexican border and hop the freight train heading north toward the United States. It’s called The Beast (La Bestia) for good reason. It devours its passengers. Continue reading “The Beast”