2008- Polo Chavez's Testimony

La Crisis

By Polo Chavez
Comite Pro Uno
Translated by Dulce Galicia and Maria Isabel Ramirez in February 2009

(*Editor’s Note: La Crisis was initially presented as a powerful testimony in June 2008 at the 3rd Annual California Central Valley Journey for Justice: Addressing the Crime of Poverty.  The original Spanish copy can be found below the English translation.)

First and foremost, I would like to establish that a couple of months ago, more or less, I was given a list of ideas from which I could branch out and prepare my presentation. To be honest with you, I dwelled on the idea over and over; I couldn’t stop thinking about the best way of approaching and exposing my opinions in a clear and precise manner. In relation to the current economic situation, I wanted to not only come here and discuss the problems with all of you but also propose some solutions. Since it is always easier to criticize than to propose, here are some ideas that may contribute to this discussion.

First of all, I am the product of a crisis. Just like everyone present here, during my arrival to this world, my birth caused my mother a health crisis that almost took her life. It was common back in those days that mothers from my generation did not access the medical resources that modern medicine offers. It should be noted, though, that today it is still only some, and not all women, that have access to these medical resources. Whatever the case may be, here I am, after that experience that was a very traumatic one for my mother. What caused her pain signified life for me. Crisis, as you shall see, has always been a permanent state of living for my family.

As I grew older, I realized from listening to our friends and neighbors, that the situation of my family was similar to that of other households. That those women, along with their husbands and children, lived their daily lives in a permanent state of crisis. And it was under those circumstances that we contributed to the same crisis with our arrival to this world, although our mothers resolved and explained it to us in the most practical and philosophical manner possible. This, of course, referred to the lessons learned from “the lack of”, which resulted in the argument that from, “where one mouth is fed, two, three, or even four can be fed.” This continues until one dozen is reached and in the future this would be the cause of a lifetime of miseries. Once neatly lined up, each of us would be part of that team being formed, and who knows, we might even end up making a good soccer team. Once we reached adulthood we would all be able to solve our situation using our kicking techniques.

As I grew older, the word ‘crisis’ became more obvious and clear in its significance. Before I began to attend school, the worst crisis that I had faced was the day I cut my foot with a piece of glass walking barefoot on the ground. This left me incapacitated from exploring the world for a couple of days. This was a period that deprived me from pulling off mischievous acts, which is common logic among children of that age. Anyhow, the point is that we were already too many of us in my family and the child-making machine had no ‘stop’ button. The situation only deteriorated, so there were days during my entire school experience in which only a couple of millimeters of coffee and a piece of bread filled my stomach.

Once I was a little older, I began to listen and acknowledge that there was a constant relation between this word crisis and our daily life. As we continued to live in a permanent state of penury, I learned about the infinite combinations that could be generated from this word. I also learned that there was a crisis for all situations but not for all people- not everyone’s lives would become affected in the same manner. Depending on who suffered, the attention someone received and the support they were given was different. For example, us poor children, for a moderate contribution, could take care of our daily food crisis through the daily breakfast provided at school. And the food provided by the school, to be honest, was extremely distasteful, and thus often ended up in the trash can anyway.

When finally an adult, yay!, the city fell down on us, as a result of the great 1985 earthquake. I remember that there was a lot of people.  Help was asked for those who had been affected. As it turns out, amongst the crowds of people, there were some whose houses were not destroyed because they did not have one to begin with. I was enlightened when someone made a complaint about this, making me aware of this situation. When one individual responded that even before the earthquake he/she was already a victim, I learned that there was also a housing crisis. This was after we had been evicted from an old shack my parents were renting where the only permanent tenants were the fleas and rats living there. Regardless of the living situation, the landlord would charge us as if it were a palace. Not only that, but if he received even a minor complaint, he would kick to the streets whoever protested. Then there was a hospital crisis, where it was as if a rabid dog hit all of our neighborhood. Suddenly, the health center was full of children who needed antirabies vaccines. This was the result of an innocent child playing with an animal infected with the illness.

There was also the transportation crisis, drug crisis, education crisis, economic crisis, diplomatic crisis… all of which gets resolved with war. This is because even though there should be multiple approaches to each crisis, the solution for all is war.  For example in order to end the battle against hunger WAR is declared: the WAR against hunger, WAR against health, WAR against ignorance, WAR against gangs, WAR against the homeless, WAR against the landless, WAR against the fanaticism. Crisis and WAR. These Two words, which in the minds of the ponderous and political leaders, are directly linked in an indissoluble manner as the solution to any problem, which is worsened further due to their ambition for power and prestige. WAR against undocumented immigration, WAR against water shortage, WAR against the lack of nourishment, WAR against unemployment, and so on until the infinite is reached.

And like the participants here, they not only wish to listen to complaints but also to solutions. As a young man, I heard that there was a man that spoke about a revolution. And according to his point of view, society was in a constant flow and reflux of positive and negative forces. Confrontations were the product for the necessary changes in society to overcome and heal the conditions of permanent crisis. Hence, it would become crucial to revolutionize society permanently. We need to create a foundation that transforms what produces hardship and suffering in order to change the socio-economic structures as well as the conditions and subsequent stages of socio-economic living.

Secondly, we should begin to create a diagnosis to establish what the best solution for this situation may be:
a)    What is your type of crisis
b)    What is the size of your crisis
c)    Where did your crisis come from
d)    Was your crisis passed on to you or did you create and contaminate your crisis
e)    Is there a solution to your crisis

Depending on the answer, a solution is prescribed, for example:
If your crisis has to do with food and you do not own farmland because you are part of the peasant extraction, then gather a couple of your fellow countrymen/women, family, or friends, and purchase, rent, or expropriate a plot of land and get to work. Preferably, depending on the quality of the soil, organic and sustainable resources, etc.  Also, sow agricultural products that would be useful in your household or neighborhood. This will allow you to interchange those products for others. Do not contaminate the spherical mantles; do not use pesticides or chemicals. The less you use these products, the higher quality of agricultural produce you will have at your table. One last warning, do not grow any illegal drugs until they are legalized.

For your health crisis- ask the doctors, nurses, or healers from your community, to dedicate part of their free time to train people in your community in the treatment and prevention of illnesses. Get together with the nurses from your neighborhood, as they are many, and fight for the implementation of more hospitals and or community health centers where health access is a universal right, where everyone is granted the same access to medical attention. Cultivate medicinal plants in your garden, because even though there are many campaigns against these, they are effective in many cases. Try to eat as healthy as possible.

For your housing crisis- do not leave your home, if the landlord, the bank, or whoever wants to evict you, protect yourself. Know your rights as a tenant. Form a union. If you are homeless, organize your friends and take those government-owned facilities that have been abandoned and turn them into housing units. Form a negotiation committee in case you are able to purchase that property from the government, or to whoever claims to be the owner.

Transportation crisis- stop being lazy, just walk. If the store is located two streets away from your house, do not drive your car. Use public transportation if it is available, or your lower limbs which in reality is more effective, costs less, and is healthier. Give your friends a ride to work. If they don’t shower or smell bad, don’t be so sensitive. Anyhow, in the future, we will not have enough water to shower every day.  
For your job crisis- If you have already been fired and/or you are about to lose your job, get together with your co-workers. Maybe with the experience you’ve acquired, you can start all over on your own. Understand that the life of the industry is in the worker. If you are employed, think about becoming independent and learn from self-management. Get informed on what this is and how it works; there are a lot of experiences in this world.

Finally, I would like to tell you all that what inspired me to make the decision of writing this was a renal crisis that woke me up at four o’clock in the morning yesterday. And I hope that the current situation that we are under will allow us to succeed with better ideas and practical actions that can benefit us all. I want to thank you all for your attention.
One last and final thing: remember that although the crisis is generated by a few, it needs to be solved collectively.  But be careful of solving it in the interests of those who have caused the problems, just as the government has been providing solutions for the real problem makers and abandoning the victims in despair.



La Crisis

Quiero aclarar en  principio que hace un mes mas o menos, cuando se me invito a ser parte de este evento, se me sugirio una  lista de ideas acerca de las cuales preparar mi participacion, y pues la verdad, estuve dandole y dandole vueltas al asunto, pensaba y pensaba cual seria la major manera de abordar el problema y tratar de exponer, de la manera mas clara y precisa mis opiniones, en ralacion a la situacion economica actual y como ademas se me sugirio, que no solo me viniera a quejar aqui con todos ustedes, sino que ademas planteara soluciones y pues como siempre es mas facil criticar que proponer, van aqui algunas ideas para contribuir a este discucion.

Primero que nada, permitanme decirles que yo soy producto de una crisis, casi como todos los aqui presentes, pues al nacer mi venida al mundo le creo a mi madre una crisis de salud que por poco le cuesta la vida, y esto era muy comun alla por aquellos años, pues las madres  de mi generacion, no contaban  con los recursos medicos que la medicina actual ofrece, en alguna partes del mundo y para algunas madres que (no todas hay que decirlo) tienen ahora al parir, pero bueno como quiera que sea aqui estoy, despues de esa experiencia que aunque traumatica para mi madre, por el dolor sufrido, para mi significo la vida, que como podran ver en seguida, siempre ha sido un estado permanente de crisis.

Conforme fui creciendo me di cuenta al escuchar a las amigas y vecinas nuestras  que la situacion mia y la de mis hermanos, era similar en todos aquellos hogares, y que aquellas mujeres junto con sus esposos y hijos viviamos de manera cotodiana un estado permanente de crisis, y que fue asi como aquellas criaturas que eramos nosotros, con nuestra llegada al mundo, veniamos a contribuir a la misma, aunque nuestras madres lo resolvian y explicaban de la manera mas practica y filosofica posible que la escases enseña, con el argumento solidario aquel, de que donde comen dos, comen tres, y donde comen tres, comen cuatro y asi sucesivamente hasta completar lo docena, que si bien nos iba, seria en el futuro la solucion a nuestra vida de miseria, cuando ya bien formaditos cada uno fuera parte del equipo aquel que se estaba formando y quien quitara hasta un buen equipo de futbol llegaramos a integrar, y ya adultos resolver nuestra situation a punta de patadas, conforme fui creciendo, la palabra crisis se fue haciendo mas patente y clara en su significado, principalmente cuando comence a ir a la escuela,  porque antes de que esto ocurriera, la peor crisis que yo habia enfrentado, fue la del dia en que me corte un pie con un vidrio al andar caminando descalso por el suelo, y pues esto me dejo un par de dias inhabilitado para seguir explorando el mundo, tiempo aquel que me privo de hacer muchas travesuras como es logico y comun en los chiquillos de esa edad, pero bueno, la cuestion es que como eramos ya tantos en la familia y la fabrica del traer niños al mundo no paraba, pues la cosa se ponia mas grave, asi que habia dias que en mi barriga solo unos mililitros de café y un pan era lo que me acompañaba durante la jornada escolar, ya poco mas entrado en edad, empece a escuchar y saber que habia una relacion constante entre esta palabra y nuestra vida cotidiana, ya que esta transcurria en un estado de penuria permanente, asi aprendi una combinacion infinita que se podia generar con esta palabra, y que habia crisis para todos los gustos pero no para todas las gentes, o que al menos si esta se presentaba no se veian su vidas afectadas de la misma menera, inclusive que dependiendo de quien la sufriera, era la atencion que recibia y el apoyo que se le daba, asi nosotros los niños pobres por ejemplo, por una modica aportacion claro, podiamos paliar nuestra crisis alimentaria diaria, con unos desayunos que nos daban en la escuela, que la verdad sabian re gacho, y que terminaban muchos de ellos tirados en los botes de basura.

Cunado ya grande !zas! que se nos viene la ciudad encima, a causa del terremoto de 1985 y recuerdo que habia mucha gente, que llegaba a recoger ayuda para los damificados y resulta que entre aquel gentio, algunos no se les habia caido su casa y/o no la tenian, cuando alguien les reclamo haciendoles ver esto, la respuesta me dejo satisfecho. cuando alguno respondio que desde antes del desastre el ya era dammificado,  despues aprendi que ademas habia, crisis en la vivienda cuando nos corrieron de una casucha que rentaban mis padres, en la que los unicos inquilinos permanentes eran las pulgas y las ratas, pero que el proprietario nos cobraba renta como si fuera un palacio, y que a la menor queja, lanzaba a la calle al que protestara sin mediar explicacion alguna, despues que la crisis de los hospitales, como cuando un perro rabioso azoto nuestro vecindario, en el que de repente el centro de salud se vio atiborrado de chamacos a los cuales se les tuvo que aplicar la vacuna antirabica, por haber estado jugando de manera inocente con el animal infectado con este mal, crisis en el transporte, crisis de las drogas, crisis en la educacion crisis economicas, crisis diplomaticas las que se resuelven con guerras, a porque a cada tipo de crisis aunque la recetas deberian ser multiples solo se les resuelve con guerras, asi por ejemplo para terminar con el hambre se le declara la Guerra, Guerra contra el hambre, Guerra contra la salud, Guerra contra ignorancia, Guerra contra las pandillas, Guerra contra los sin techo, Guerra contra los sin tierras, Guerra contra el fanatismo, o sea crisis y Guerra, dos palabras que en el pensamiento de los ponderosos y dirigentes politicos estan vinculadas de manera indisoluble a la solucion de cualquier problema, que se agraban por su ambicion de poder y prestigio, Guerra contra la inmigracion indocumentada, Guerra contra la escaces de agua, Guerra contra la falta de alimentos, Guerra contra el desempleo y asi hasta el infinito tal y como hoy se pregona.

Y bueno como de los participantes aqui no solo se quieren escuchar quejas sino tambien soluciones, baste decir lo siguiente, conforme llegue a ser joven, escuche que por ahi hubo un señor que hablaba de revolucion, y que segun su punto de vista la sociedad estaba en un constante flujo y reflujo de fuerzas positivas y otras negativas, que en su constante enfrentamiento, producen los cambios necesarios en la sociedad para ir superando las condiciones de crisis permanente en la que esta se encuentra, por lo tanto habria que estar revolucionando la sociedad de manera permanente,  estar creando las bases necesarias para cambiar esas condiciones de manera tal que en etapas posteriores la convivencia social sea mas efectiva, en tanto se transforman las estructuras sociales economicas que producen tantas penurias y sufrimientos.

Segundo.- Despues de haber dicho todo esto habria que comenzar por hacer un diagnostico para saber cual seria el mejor remedio a esta situation.

a) Cual es tu tipo de crisis

b) De que tamaño es tu crisis

c) De donde vino tu crisis

d) Te contagiaron o contaminaste tu crisis

e) Existe remedio a tu crisis

Dependiendo de la respuesta se receta la medicina, por ejemplo.

Si tu crisis es alimentaria y no tienes tierras que cultivar, eres de extraccion campesina, juntense unos cuatro o cinco paisanos, familiares o amigos, compren, renten o expropien unas parcelas y ponganse a trabajarlas de preferencia dependiendo de las calidad del suelo, recursos hidraulicos, etc. siembren productos agricolas que sean necesarios en su hogar o vecindario que puedan intercambiar por otros productos o bienes que ustedes necesiten si hay excedentes.

No contamines los mantos freaticos, no uses pesticidas ni quimicos, mientras mas evites estos mejores productos agricolas llevaras a la mesa de tu hogar, ah y una advertencia, no siembres drogas ilegales mientras esta no se legalizen.

Es tu Crisis en la Salud.- Pideles a los doctores, enfermeras o curanderos de tu barrio, que dediquen parte de su tiempo libre a capacitar a gente de tu comunidad en el tratamiento y prevencion de las enfermedades, juntate con los enfermos de tu vecindario que son muchos y lucha porque se construyan mas hospitales y/o clinicas comunitarias donde la salud sea un derecho universal, para que la atencion medica sea accesible para todos, cultiva plantas medicinales en tu jardin ya que a pesar de todas la campañas en contra para muchas afecciones si son efectivas, trata de comer lo mas saludable posible, evita el exceso.

Es tu crisis en la vivienda.- No dejes tu casa, si el rentero, el banco o quien sea te quiere desalojar, protegete, conoce tus derechos como inquilino, forma tu sindicato,  si no tienes techo organiza a tus camaradas y toma aquellos lugares propiedad del gobierno y que ha abandonado para que se conviertan en viviendas, forma tu comite de negociacion para si te es possible le compres la propiedad al gobierno o a quien reclame ser dueno del mismo.

Crisis en el transporte.- Ya dejate de la huevonada, camina. Si la tienda esta a dos calles de tu casa, no manejes tu carro, usa el transporte publico si lo hay o tus extremidades inferiores que al fin y al cabo es lo mas efectivo, economico y saludable, dale raite a tus camaradas al trabajo, si no se bañan o huelen mal no seas tan delicado de todas maneras a como van las cosas, en el futuro no tendremos agua para bañarnos todos los dias.

Es tu crisis por el empleo.- Si ya te despidieron y/o estas a punto de perder tu trabajo, unete con otros companeros, quizas con la experiencia adquirida, puedan comenzar por ustedes mismos, entiende que la vida de la industria es el trabajador, si estas empleado, piensa en como ser independiente y aprende de la autegestion. Informate que es esto y como funciona, existen muchas experiencias en el mundo.  

Por ultimo quiero decirles que lo que me inspiro a decidierme por escribir esto fue una crisis renal que me hizo despertarme a las 4 de la manana de ayer, y ojala que la situacion actual que estamos viviendo nos permita salir adelante con mejores ideas y acciones practicas que nos beneficien a todos, por su atencion quiero darles las gracias.   

Algo mas y por ultimo, recuerden que las crisis en la actualidad aunque las generan unos cuantos, nos toca a la colectivad resolverla, pero cuidado con resolverselas solo a los causantes como esta haciendo ahora el gobierno y dejar a las victimas en el desamparo.