Poetic Justice?

Like everyone else, I was profoundly moved by the tragedy in Texas’ Hill Country on the early hours of July 4th. To think about the young campers on a wonderful retreat, sleeping on their bunk beds, waking up to the raising waters from the Guadalupe River. What about the parents who didn’t know if their children had survived or not? Some families lost more than one child, some have not found their remains yet, almost a month later. This is to say nothing of the loss of property and the serious damage caused by the floods. The images on TV of the ferocious river and the devasted camps have not disappeared from my mind.

The name Guadalupe brings other thoughts to me. The Patron Saint of Mexico is the Virgin of Guadalupe. She appeared to an indigenous peasant in 1531 and is celebrated with a national holiday on December 12^th. Pope Pious XXII crowned her as the “Empress of the Americas” in 1945. I remember visiting the basilica where she is worshiped in Mexico City—specifically in the village of Guadalupe Hidalgo—and seeing thousands of pilgrims on their knees advancing slowly into the entrance, praying for some miracle. The Virgin of Guadalupe is one of the most significant symbols of the catholic faith and devotion in Mexico.

Of course, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is another significative designation to mention here. It marks the end of the Mexican – American War, signed in 1848. Mexico lost about 55% of its territory to the United States, including present day California, Nevada, Utah, most of Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona, and a small portion of Wyoming. In turn the United States paid Mexico $15 million—granted that this would represent over $160 million nowadays, still a big bargain. Mexico also recognized the Rio Grande as the southern boundary of Texas. “Mexicans in areas annexed by the U.S. could relocate within Mexico’s new boundaries or receive American citizenship and full civil rights,” states the document. The map illustrates best the magnitude of the territories lost to Mexico, all marked in white.

How ironic that Mexican volunteers from Fundación 911 came to Texas immediately to help with the rescue operations in the Guadalupe River tragedy. During her daily news conference on July 8^th, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum recognized Fundación 911’s work by thanking each member of the team by name. “This is our culture. We Mexicans are always supportive and brotherly. What is reflected in firefighters who go and risk their lives is the essence of the Mexican people. It is humanism,” she said in Spanish.

How ironic that our current president is chasing Latinos, many of Mexican origin, out of the United States. Is the Guadalupe River telling us something in Nature’s name? It seems like too much of a coincidence; it seems almost biblical that this otherwise picturesque river is taking revenge. Or could it be that climate change is not a hoax after all? Could it be poetic justice?

Established in 1926, Camp Mystic is a private Christian summer camp for girls. “The staff at Mystic strives to provide young girls with a wholesome Christian atmosphere in which they can develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem.” I look at its web page and I don’t see a single brown face (except the groundskeeper who looks Mexican) among its administrators, counselors, and campers, despite the indigenous names used to label the sport teams. No further comments.

Of course, being a Spaniard, in terms of Jung’s collective unconscious, I’m also accountable for colonial behavior. Our Lady of Guadalupe in Spain is originally a medieval Virgin of old Castile. At least she is one of the many Madonnas with a black face in my country.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 25th, 2025 at 2:03 pm by conchaalborg and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.