When you spend a lot of time or live in a smaller town in Mexico, you start to notice people who sort of blend in but that you do not know too much
about. Santa Rosalia has several of those who I have come to realize have no visible means of support. A couple of them are retarded and live with
family or friends so that is pretty understandable, but one I have come to be aware of is a mentally disturbed individual who lives in Santa Rosalia.
Almost any day of the year he can be seen walking, walking, and more walking up and down the streets and highways surrounding town. I became curious
and wondered how he makes a living and what people knew about him. Seems there was some type of drug overdose and abuse and it left him a little
short on the mental capabilities side. I know there is not much in the way of welfare or assistance for residents so I was then curious about how he
was able to survive. In the US, he would have gone down to the Welfare Office and put in a claim and would have easily fit in the system. Here it is
a totally different story since that is not available. What I started to notice was that the community took some role in helping this man by small
gifts of things like clothing and small amounts of change or money. Several of the restaurants and a couple of the hot dog stands would give him a
hot dog or taco when he came by. He was very quiet, stood back out of the flow, but they gave him something. He smiled and walked away with his food
and went somewhere to eat.
One motel owner told me he would sometimes go in a room and sleep when the occupants had exited, so he gets escorted by the police quite frequently.
Another business person tried to shoo him off with a broom but found out quickly that when threatened he responded very quickly and aggresively, but
again the police were called and they quickly took him somewhere and gave him time to calm down.
As with all Mexican people, everyone seems to have a nickname and this person goes by the nickname of El Jaiba or Crab and has a very bright smile
with great teeth.
In BCS there are many forms of welfare, of course hard to compare to USA where today 40 million people receive food stamps and there is of course
social security, disability, medicaid, child welfare and many interfaith coalition groups who do outreach among many others, but that's something
together different and perhaps less helpful to the economy and our well being that is apparent.
IN BCS single mothers receive some support for children, medical costs are far less and in many cases free options exist for initial visits. MAny
services ae discounted for certain skill types of families and there are often handouts to families in the form of food, gas, electricity, garbage and
water.
Here there is also a Pension program for some seniors and overall there is very little homelessness or evidence of suffering or starvation.
There is much more to this, that is the actual societal benefits versus detriment of social services, worth considering, in retrospect North Americans
have been resilient, independent and response-able, which has been our national strength. Perhaps once again we should celebrate independence and
self-reliance as a character quality that we have and use, as well as local community interdependence.
Consider that liberty means people have the option to live, eat and and do freely as they choose even if that doesn't meet your expectations of
society.
this is an interesting topic and one of which I am fond of. When I first moved to baja, I noticed that there werent hardly any seemingly homeless
people. Nearly all the unfortunate people were looked after by the community as a whole...sharing the "burden" so to speak.
I have learned great generosity from my husband Juan who helps the less fortunate on a constant basis...providing them with food, some job, clothes
and friendship. I am always impressed how the mexican people are so tolerant and charitable....even when they dont have much themselves.
When some obviously "damaged" (some may say crazy) person is ranting or doing something wrong...many times it is just tolerated, or he is quietly
escorted somewhere else or home. "Disadvanataged" people are helped by all in the villages, they go to the regular school and participate in events
like everyone else. I find this very inspiring that they are not locked away in some institution but are contributing members of society...in their
way.
It seems that somehow it all gets worked out...each family have some "charity cases" that they help out so everyone gets looked after. When I first
came to Asuncion, there was what some may call a "bum" who we talked to and helped out all the time....he was fascinating and had no family here...but
he sure was loved and accepted. When he died, it was the biggest funeral I had ever seen.
When I first lived here, I was a bit worried about having no social safety net and thought...what would happen if????? Now I see that no matter what,
you will be looked after, you will not go hungry or cold or homeless.
If someone is very ill and the family cant pay for an operation, the fishermen donate a day's salary to the cause and everyone helps out.
The little practises of dropping coins in the jars, tipping the people bagging your groceries, letting the guys in parking lots wipe down your cars or
windsheilds, clean your boots, sweep your patio etc...all help the less fortunate. It is refreshing and enlightening to see how this kind of personal
social safety net really works.
Originally posted by shari
I am always impressed how the mexican people are so tolerant and charitable....even when they dont have much themselves.
How does this example of tolerance and charity impress you?
Last Friday, December 9, municipal inspectors in the city of Querétaro assaulted some native Otomí women who were selling their handmade items on the
streets to feed themselves and their children. The inspectors confiscated their goods without providing them with any documentation and ran off down
the street. In other words, they stole the women's goods and took off.
How about this headline?
Quote:
Charitable giving in short supply in Mexico
Mexico City — When social scientists and policymakers here try to make sense of the beheadings, massacres and general mayhem afflicting large parts of
this country, the blame often falls on the Mexican government’s under-investment in social programs and education.
But as researchers and advocacy groups look to confront the underlying causes of the spreading drug violence, they are also focusing on another
shortfall: a lack of corporate and individual philanthropy.
The numbers point to a sizable charity gap. Mexico has the lowest taxes and second-highest income inequality among the 34 member nations of the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which gathers data on the world’s leading economies, and yet it also has had some of the
weakest levels of charitable giving.
According to Mexico’s Center for Philanthropy, the percentage of the country’s gross domestic product dedicated to charity was 0.04 in a 2003 study,
nearly 40 times lower than the United States. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/charitable-giving-in-sho...
It is as if you live somewhere in an alternative universe, outside of time and space. As long as nobody here can understand Spanish to find out what
really happens, you can just say anything and get away with it.
I, like you Shari, have learned genorosity from my Mexican husband. When I would see someone in the street asking for a hand-out, either in the US or
MX, I would tend to look the other way and walk on. My husband would always stop, listen to their story, and reach into his wallet.
Like I said, it has rubbed off. I bought a present for my sister yesterday and put the change into my pocket instead of my wallet....as I left the
store I was approached by a US Veteran (he had quite a story involving accupuncture and the VA Hospital, etc.), I didn't listen too long, but
remembered I had a couple of bucks in my pocket, and passed them on.
I think there is a big difference between how the less fortunate are treated in big cities vs. small towns----both in Mexico and in the US.
In small towns it is more personal and in big cities it is more institutional if there is help at all ---- in both countries.
And in both countries, there are people who give their all to help the less fortunate, or who donate when they have very little for themselves. And
there are those who do as little as possible or nothing in both countries.
I just watched a US program on TV about girls that have been foster children most of their lives. I didn't realize it but the day they turn 18 they
are thrown out of the program and get no further government assistance so they effectively become homless without money, a place to live or jobs and
many just become prostitutes in order to survive. I'm sure this is true of many homeless women in Mexico also.
Originally posted by shari
I am always impressed how the mexican people are so tolerant and charitable....even when they dont have much themselves.
How does this example of tolerance and charity impress you?
Last Friday, December 9, municipal inspectors in the city of Querétaro assaulted some native Otomí women who were selling their handmade items on the
streets to feed themselves and their children. The inspectors confiscated their goods without providing them with any documentation and ran off down
the street. In other words, they stole the women's goods and took off.
How about this headline?
Quote:
Charitable giving in short supply in Mexico
Mexico City — When social scientists and policymakers here try to make sense of the beheadings, massacres and general mayhem afflicting large parts of
this country, the blame often falls on the Mexican government’s under-investment in social programs and education.
But as researchers and advocacy groups look to confront the underlying causes of the spreading drug violence, they are also focusing on another
shortfall: a lack of corporate and individual philanthropy.
The numbers point to a sizable charity gap. Mexico has the lowest taxes and second-highest income inequality among the 34 member nations of the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which gathers data on the world’s leading economies, and yet it also has had some of the
weakest levels of charitable giving.
According to Mexico’s Center for Philanthropy, the percentage of the country’s gross domestic product dedicated to charity was 0.04 in a 2003 study,
nearly 40 times lower than the United States. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/charitable-giving-in-sho...
It is as if you live somewhere in an alternative universe, outside of time and space. As long as nobody here can understand Spanish to find out what
really happens, you can just say anything and get away with it.
On a board about Baja specifically, which is, by the way, an actual alternative universe, as much of what happens in Baja is outside of what many may
consider the world "norm", you noted two incidents of behavior that occurred in mainland Mexico. From my experiences in both Baja and mainland, they
are two totally different worlds. I agree with Shari in that the small towns absorb and care for the residents, no matter what state of economic or
mental state they may be in.
Originally posted by bajafam
From my experiences in both Baja and mainland, they are two totally different worlds. I agree with Shari in that the small towns absorb and care for
the residents, no matter what state of economic or mental state they may be in.
Ohhhh....that's just not true at all. It's one big country and we can't be isolating parts of it for the sake of an arguement.
As far as small towns answering the call.......their populations are more like tribes than a general demographic. Lots of close family ties
intermingled in the rank and file. It would be a surprise if they didn't help each other. That's what families do.
Originally posted by shari
I am always impressed how the mexican people are so tolerant and charitable....even when they dont have much themselves.
How does this example of tolerance and charity impress you?
Last Friday, December 9, municipal inspectors in the city of Querétaro assaulted some native Otomí women who were selling their handmade items on the
streets to feed themselves and their children. The inspectors confiscated their goods without providing them with any documentation and ran off down
the street. In other words, they stole the women's goods and took off.
How about this headline?
Quote:
Charitable giving in short supply in Mexico
Mexico City — When social scientists and policymakers here try to make sense of the beheadings, massacres and general mayhem afflicting large parts of
this country, the blame often falls on the Mexican government’s under-investment in social programs and education.
But as researchers and advocacy groups look to confront the underlying causes of the spreading drug violence, they are also focusing on another
shortfall: a lack of corporate and individual philanthropy.
The numbers point to a sizable charity gap. Mexico has the lowest taxes and second-highest income inequality among the 34 member nations of the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which gathers data on the world’s leading economies, and yet it also has had some of the
weakest levels of charitable giving.
According to Mexico’s Center for Philanthropy, the percentage of the country’s gross domestic product dedicated to charity was 0.04 in a 2003 study,
nearly 40 times lower than the United States. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/charitable-giving-in-sho...
It is as if you live somewhere in an alternative universe, outside of time and space. As long as nobody here can understand Spanish to find out what
really happens, you can just say anything and get away with it.
I'm not sure what your fist example is except for an example of theft which I'm not sure how you relate that to charitable contributions by
governments or individuals.
The second, your talking apples and oranges! The social programs you are indicating as inadequate are government sponsered, what I read into the other
posts is people helping people without the government.
How do you like paying your share here when you know 90% of it gets Pi$$ed away on lazy undeserving people, maybe if there was a little more "taking
care of each other" and not relying on the government people might not be quite so calous about helping each other out when they are in need.
The Mexican people tend to be more family oriented than a lot of others and it doesn't suprise me at all thet they are willing to help out on an
individual basis to fill in where the government leaves off.
Originally posted by bajafam
From my experiences in both Baja and mainland, they are two totally different worlds. I agree with Shari in that the small towns absorb and care for
the residents, no matter what state of economic or mental state they may be in.
Ohhhh....that's just not true at all. It's one big country and we can't be isolating parts of it for the sake of an arguement.
Hmmm....seems like that's what we do all the time. Baja IS different. It IS separate. That's why there are distinctions between Baja Californios and
those that live on the mainland, such as DF. If we were encompassing ALL of Mexico, wouldn't the forum be Mexico Nomad? and then, couldn't we post ALL
trip reports in the same place, as opposed to posting anywhere traveled outside of BAJA in Non-Baja Trip Reports? And wouldn't every Mexico related
post be included, instead of having separate sections for things not BAJA related?
"Family" is EVERYTHING, in my book!! And most small-towns ARE involved in the "families" welfare, and consider most in the town to be within their
"extended family", and that is often litterally true. One of the huge advantages of living in a small town.
"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen.
The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back
if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt
"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes
"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others
cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn
"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law
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