Marcel & Venezuela
by Richard Oxman

Are they going to lock up my six-year-old? Take away his passport?

Little Marcel (See www.marcelsgeo.blogspot.com) has indicated that he's interested in helping Hugo Chávez get re-elected on December 3, 2006, and he's ready and willing to travel to Caracas ASAP to make his -contribution.-

That's his word.

It's a particularly astonishing expression of solidarity since his mom and pop — Sylvie (See http://sylviesays.blogspot.com/) and me — have given up on the electoral process here at home. Methinks Marcel senses a calling.

He's a bit of a -Mozart of Geography,- and the whole family has been getting behind offering his knowledge/personality to various schools, organizations, etc. to suit their purposes (hoping to increase an appreciation of social studies in the process). However, time and time again we've been rejected, ignored.

You'd think that some educator, some NGO, some fundraiser, etc. would have taken advantage of our interest in donating heartbeats. But, no. And no media outlet has jumped on the opportunity to spotlight Marcel, in spite of the fact that the recent National Geographic-Roper Affairs Study seems to beg for such a public service segment; see http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/05/02/geog.test/index.html for a context here.

So be it. All aboard for trip down south, where we all might make a contribution to what seems to be at times-the only hope for non-violent humanity.

As Presidente Chávez works to keep people warm, working and alive, and moving us all toward a more sane relationship with one another-maybe-just maybe we can put in our singular two cents about his oil and ecocide (I hear the capital is crumbling under pollution!), serving as yet another set of gringo cooks in the Spanish-speaking Kitchen hell bent on coming up with a proper blend-to soothe our souls, and save the planet.

Long sentence-for a long-distance call. But we long for something important, so going for a longshot is in order. Quite proper.

We refuse to call U.S. citizens Americans; we refer to them as USers. It's only proper. Perhaps we'll even make the Ultimate Proper Sacrifice and put in for a change of citizenship. I should think that would be newsworthy, sí? And help matters maybe?

Yes, maybe we'll disappear from here before THEY make us disappear.

Wish us good fortune, por favor.

Richard Oxman (Ricardo Bueyhombre), info@parisgraves.com, will immediately respond to readers' emails-unless he's in the middle of researching train schedules (horarios?).