Mexican Drivers, Freedom, Immigration, Border Wars and the Anniversary

A photograph can certainly launch all manner of thought, but what about a group of old driver's licenses from our southern neighbor?

Are any of the grandsons of these men now doing jobs we could be doing if we hadn't grown obese on high-fructose corn syrup.? (The last time I looked, soda in Mexico was still made with real sugar instead of corn syrup) Maybe that's why they can fit under the fence and we can't run fast enough to catch them. Drug wars on the border? Who do you think is the market for those drugs? Just look in the mirror on the table. Americans are. Not to mention that after Mexico refused our offer to buy what is now Arizona, we just went and took it.

How about those protestors near the future mosque in Manhattan? I know many of the demonstrators drove in from New Jersey, where they can't read what it says on the Statue of Liberty because her rear is aimed at them. If they had, they would know even the FRENCH knew welcoming everyone was our greatest strength. No, not just a platitude...our greatest strength. Some folks seem to have forgotten.

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..."

When I lived in Manhattan, in a ten apartment brownstone building...my neighbors were, let's see...a gay man...a woman of Mexican heritage and her husband, a large family of Muslims who ran the local deli, a gay woman, an obese man who played piano on the Dick Cavett show, a white woman from New Jersey who was a buyer for Macys, a man from India, a group of three guys from Senegal, a medical device salesman we called "Big Guy" and an 80 year old African-American homeless man named "Pops" who lived in the basement when it was cold, swept up and kept hookers out of the building. Oh...and I moved in the Jew. Does that all sound like trouble to you? Sounds like freedom to me. I can tell you, when we had a blackout, which was frequent...we were all damn glad to see each other in the hallway.

(My guess is that those of you against gay marriage have never had a gay man walk towards you in a pitch black slum hallway with a six battery flashlight he had the good sense to have purchased in advance. Until you have, I suggest you keep your opinions about his rights to yourself.)

See, we liked the diversity. It was as natural as living, which we are all lucky enough to do for too-brief time. We should try to make it as happy, wonderful, thrilling and diverse as it can be. We might as well...since it's going to happen anyway, just do the math. Look at the globe and add BILLIONS.

Collection of Five Driver's Licenses from Mexico, Zinc, circa 1960 Collection Jim Linderman
Antonio G. Silva Torres
German Perez Huidobro
Emiliano Rodricuez Huitzil
Conrado Vazquez Espinosa
Antonio Gonzalez Fernandez